


On A Windy Day

by PrettyKittyLuvsU



Category: Batman (Comics), Under the Red Hood, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-02-04 16:52:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12775302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyKittyLuvsU/pseuds/PrettyKittyLuvsU
Summary: He expects her to hiss at him; throw a spoon at his head and scream to leave the kitchen. But instead, she sighs heavily, blue eyes peering up at him through blonde lashes and blood is definitely rushing to his cheeks because her hands grab onto his, squeezing them softly. Jason\Oc.





	1. the wind brings a friend

**|GOTHAM CITY**

**|JUNE 24, 17:08 EDT,**

His feet hit the roof of the building hard, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he pushes himself off the edge, cape fluttering behind him and breathing fast as the ground vanishes from beneath him for a moment before he lands on the front building again.

The wind blows, cold on his face but he ignores it, continuing bolting over numerous buildings.

The communicator in his ear bursts to life, "Robin, where are you?"

And Jason all but snarls on hearing Nightwing's voice.

"Screw off,  _dickface_!" He snaps, tapping the small device, cutting of the link.

Robin growls furiously, leaping over another building. He keeps on dashing forward, numerous thoughts circling his mind like vultures. His teeth grit together, muscles tense up and he releases what seems to be roar of anger, pace increasing as a gust of wind brushes against his body.

"Who the hell do they think they are?!" He shouts, jaw clenched. "I damn am better than him!"

He knows he shouldn't be here. He should think logically. But damn everything, he doesn't do logic.

Something catches his eye and he grimaces, pulling out his grappling gun and shooting the hook in the air. It latches onto a taller building's reeling and he swings ahead, the air whistling in his ears before the hook comes hurling back into the gun, throwing him forward.

Robin doesn't think much, knocking into the person and ending up sprawled on the sidewalk. He cranes his neck to shoot a glare at the enormous red truck that swooshes by a mere second later.

"You better control that damn speed, idiot!" He yells, quickly memorizing the truck's plate number before it disappears from sight.

He snaps his head back then, masked eyes narrowed into slits. "You were a second away from getting road killed. Watch before crossing the road, got  _it_?" He inquires bitterly.

However, he expects someone to snap at him, to scold him, say he could've gotten hit by the truck but nothing happens. Instead, sky blue eyes peer up at him through golden lashes.

" _Errr_ , thanks for the advice, I guess?" She answers unsurely then fixes him with an amused look, "Uh, can you get off me now?"

Robin blinks, absorbing what she had just said and then realization knocks his head, making him aware that he is basically on top of her.

The anger melts somewhere inside him as he quickly scrambles to his feet, the tips of his ears burning red slightly. "Uh, yeah. Sorry." He mumbles an apology, watching the blonde push herself up.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he waits for any display of praise from her as she dusts off her jeans and pats her white shirt straight. Her attention finally comes to rest on him and she flashes a smile.

"Thanks for saving my life,"

The wind blows gently this time as he huffs, "You're welcome."

A grin tugs the corner of her lips and she nods, stalking forward. He narrows his eyes, staring at her back and boredom gets to him.

"I'm Robin, by the way." He introduces himself, falling in step with her.

She gives him a surprised look and he expects her to start gushing and try to get his autograph. Instead, she looks amused.

"I know you're Robin," The blonde tosses a friendly smile, glancing at the R insignia on his chest. "You're Batman's sidekick."

Robin grinds his teeth together, "I am not anyone's sidekick."

She doesn't flinch because of his sharp tone. " _Sorry_ ," The girl smiles meekly, "Didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

His anger boils up again, gloved hand itching to his belt so he can grab his grappling hook and swing away. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Then again, when was talking to a strange girl you just met a good idea, anyway?

"I'm Kate," The blonde places a hand on her chest. Her eyebrows knit together and she pauses in their walk, "There isn't something wrong, is it?"

He feels confused, "What?

"You're here with me so that means I'm being targeted or something, right?"

Robin rolls his eyes beneath his mask, "No, you're not in danger or anything." He informs, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I was just bored so I thought about joining you for some time." He tells the half-truth, averting her gaze.

But then he notices her staring at him as if she's trying to tell whether he's lying or not.

A scowl graces his features, "But I can leave if you want." He offers, hand moving towards his belt when she pipes up.

"You can stay," Kate clasps her hands behind her back, "I don't mind at all." She laughs and Robin scans the area around them to make sure no one is looking.

Surprisingly, the whole sidewalk is empty, not a person in sight and the only sound audible is the wind rustling the leaves of a few trees accompanied by the small thumping of their feet.

"You shouldn't be out alone like this," He grimaces.

Kate rolls her blue orbs, "Trust me. I can take care of myself." She sways her hand in the air as if it would wave away the danger, "And anyway..."

Heat crawls up Robin's neck when she bumps her shoulder with his arm.

"I've got the boy wonder at my side." She winks.

He grins at that, folding his arms behind his head. Leaves quiver as wind passes by, making the boy wonder's cape flutter and pushing the blonde's hair into her eyes. Kate frowns, blowing at the strands falling over her eyes.

"So..." She drawls, smirking."I bet it's super fun living with the Batman."

" _Hardly_ ," Robin snorts, kicking a pebble on the pavement.

It hits a tree.

His features grace a scowl and he releases a low growl, "Batman's a total  _shithead_."

"Really?" Kate sounds surprised.

"Hell,  _yeah_!" Robin confirms, snarling. "All he ever does is bitch about how I could do better. He keeps comparing me to Goldie!"

The blonde beside him questions, "Who's Goldie?"

Trapping the tip of his tongue between his teeth, Robin mentally curses his big mouth. "So you're a Batman fan?" He inquires amusingly.

He wants to change the topic.

Kate doesn't seem to realize it, "What Gothamie doesn't like Batman?" She snorts, rolling her eyes.

For some reason, a knot ties in his chest. "You really like him, huh?" He inquires dryly.

Kate blinks, adjusting to his words and her eyes widen with realization. "I don't like him like that!" She violently waves her hands in the air, face flushing slightly.

She crosses her arms, settling him with an unimpressed look. "God, Robin. He's like so older than me!"

The knot in his chest disappears and he smirks coyly, "You never know about crazy fangirls and their wild imaginations."

"My imaginations are not that wild," Kate grins when a gust of wind blows, blowing her locks into her eyes.

The blonde lets out a frustrated groan, tugging the strands behind her ear.

Robin takes full notice of it, "Where're you going anyway?"

"To a grocery shop," She answers tersely, still struggling with her hair.

So when Robin pauses, she stops with him. He ignores the perplexed looks she's giving him as he fishes something out of his utility belt. A smirk quirks the corners of his lips upwards as he locks gazes with her.

"Put your arms around my neck," He orders, face flushing a little when she raises a golden eyebrow.

"Don't mind or anything but I barely know yo—"

"Trust me," The words slip off his tongue a bit sharper than he had intended to.

He watches her lips purse as if she's debating with herself when she bounces her shoulders, strolling towards him, peering up at him with mild curiosity.

"Is this okay?" She asks consciously, wrapping her petite arms around his neck.

And why the sudden closeness gives him goosebumps, he doesn't really know. "Yeah, just like that." He mumbles, coiling an arm around her waist and tugs her closer, smirking when she gives out a small squeak.

"Hold on tight!"

"Hold on tight? What do you mea—  _woah_!"

Her sentence gets cut short as the grappling hook shoots out, catching a house's reeling and soon the ground is missing, Robin laughing heartily as he swings them over the road. And suddenly, he's very much aware of the space—  _or rather the lack of space_  —between them as Kate tightens her hold, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Black clouds are massing in the sky, the wind beginning to blow harder and fuck, why the hell is her breath making heart beat faster.

Gracefully landing on the ground, his gaze sweeps over the glass doors infront of him before shifting to the blonde in his arms.

His ears start to burn again, "You can let go now." Robin tells her, smiling softly.

She pulls back slowly, his brows furrowing as he watches, worried when she slumps down to the pavement, chest heaving with fast breaths.

"Hey, you okay?" Batman's protégé stares as she closes her eyes, bobbing her head up and down.

"I'm fine," Kate assures, blue eyes snapping open again as a weak smile touches her lips. "Just a little...  _overwhelmed_."

Robin cracks a grin, parting his lips to say _'get whelmed_ ' but he decides against it—  _he doesn't wanna think about Nightwing_ —, slamming his mouth shut. Instead, he leans down, gently taking her around the elbow and helping her stand straight.

"So you're gonna stick around with me in the store too?" Kate muses playfully, grabbing a nearby cart.

But before he could respond by saying that he should really be leaving now, she startles him by quickly clasping her hand with his gloved one, dragging him into the store as well.

Her grip is strong around his palm.

Robin does  _not_  blush.

Jason Todd does  _not_  blush.

Blushing is  _girlie_. So he isn't going to blush.

He will not blush. He will not blush.  _Hewillnotblushhewillnotblushhewillnotblushhewillnotblush—_

 _Crap_ , he's blushing.

"I've gotta list of things here," Kate begins and he releases a breath he doesn't know he was holding when she drops his hand, only to pull out a crumpled paper from her pocket. She unfolds it, reading the written items.

Robin quickly surveys the store, feeling relieved to know that there wasn't anyone there, except for a certain dark skinned woman that sat in the cashier chair, her eyes framed by round glasses as she read through a magazine.

"The weather's not good so we don't have to wait in any lines," Kate chirps, breaking his stream of thoughts.

He offers a smirk, increasing his pace and taking the cart from her, making sure to brush his hand against hers while doing so.

He hates how his costume doesn't show any flesh so he could feel her skin. However, Kate's cheeks heat up a little, "You sure you don't need to be on an important mission or anything at this time?"

"Nah," He bounces his shoulders, wheeling the cart ahead. "I'm pretty free at the moment."

Her eyes brighten on hearing that and she beams, ready to say something when the com-link in his ear turns back on.

"Robin," Batman growls, furious. "Where are you? This behavior will not be tolerat—"

His protégé scowls deeply, cutting the link off again. He finds his jaw clenching tightly, hold increasing on the cart's bar which causes his knuckles to go white beneath the black gloves.

"Is everything alright?" Kate inquires worriedly, Robin grimacing in response.

"Everything's fan- _freaking_ -tastic." He snatches the list from her hand, ignoring her surprised stare as he reads, then starts placing the required items in the cart.

"You know..." She pipes up, inching closer to him. "You can vent to me if you want."

Robin scoffs, "I  _barely_  know you!"

And he almost regrets those words when she frowns. But then she gives a lopesided smile, surprising him as her hand lands on top of his.

"Trust me," She assures, copying his line from before.

Her hand gently squeezed his and damn it, he wants to take those stupid gloves off.

"I went on a mission with the Team," He begins his story, the ends of his lips pulling downwards. "Aqualad told me to stay at this particular point but I didn't listen and went in anyway. Eventually, our cover kinda blew up 'cause of flash boy and then I saw this guy and well..."

Kate urged him to continue, "Well  _what_?"

"I started beating the shit out of him." Robin continues, a scowl gracing his features as drops a packet of sugar into the cart. "That guy was a human trafficker. I kinda gave him a concussion so everyone started scolding me when  _boom_!" He makes a wild hand gesture, "Bats comes out of nowhere and starts hissing that how I shouldn't have done that and how I need to control my temper and all that shit."

He quickly pauses, then gives out a heavy sigh, "Everyone thinks I'm reckless and irresponsible." He mumbles, frowning at the floor.

"I don't think your reckless and irresponsible," Kate comments, smiling and he quirks a brow, resting his forearms on the cart's bar as he leans forward on it.

"Oh, really?" Robin snorts, tone laced with sarcasm.

"I don't think a reckless and irresponsible person would've saved my life," She picks out a small can of baking powder off the racks before stalking over to the cart.

"And anyway," Kate grins, placing the can as she settles her gaze on him. "I think you're really  _cute_."

And then the blonde playfully taps the tip of his nose, causing his face to catch fire. "Well, I...um..uh..." He tries to say something witty but for the first time in his life, Jason feels at a loss of words.

He scowls as Kate giggles at his stuttering form.

"My little brother's birthday's today," She saves him from embarrassment, talking amiably. "I'm gonna bake him a cake."

"You know how to cook?" He inquires, pushing the cart further.

She bounces her shoulders, "Well, I more like bake, I guess?" Kate offers before smiling, "If you want, I can bake something you like."

Robin smiles, "Really?"

"Sure!" She awards him with a smile. "What do you want? Cupcakes? Pastries? Macaroons?"

Batman's protégé ponders for a second, "I think I'll just have a cake." He responds as they reach the counter.

And just before she can pull out a wallet, he stops her, slamming a wad of bills on the clear top.

"Oh, no." Kate narrows her eyes, reaching for the money so she could hand it back to him. "You are not paying for my groceries!"

"I got this," Robin tells her, catching her hand before it could touch the green bills. Butterflies attack his stomach but he ignores them, pulling her hand back.

She attempts to argue, "But—"

"I said I got this."

The cashier lady pays them no mind, taking the money and mumbling a small 'thank you, please come again'.

A frustrated groan leaves Kate's lips and he grins, bagging the groceries and holding them into his arms. They waltz out of the store, the glass doors behind them hissing shut. Cool wind greets them as they walk forward and he moves a little closer to her, occasionally knocking elbows and hips as they walk down the empty street together.

"I had real fun today," Kate laughs, sky blue eyes flicking up to meet his and Robin grins faintly, feeling as if the sudden weight he had on his shoulders all through the day disappears in a brief second.

"Me too," He admits, then smirks. "We should do this more often."

"Yeah," The blonde admits, a sudden pink hue caressing her cheeks as she peers up at him through her lashes. She looks aside, blushing. "I'd love to spend more time with you."

A voice comes up, unwelcomed. "Robin! Don't you dare cut off the link!" Nightwing's voice booms in the boy wonder's ear piece.

Unfortunately, Jason's arms are busy with the groceries so he can't reach the communicator. Damn it.

Nightwing continues, "The Injustice League are terrorizing Central City. We need the whole Team now. Get here asap!"

"I'm coming," Robin growls, huffing when Nightwing ends the call. He turns to Kate, only to find her staring worriedly as she chewing on her bottom lip. "I gotta go now," The boy frowns, holding out the groceries. "Can you reach home before it rains?

A pleasant current crawls up his arms as she takes them from him, her creamy skin brushing against it clothed one.

"I'll make it before it rains," She smiles meekly, gazing up at him. Her shoulders drop, a frown gracing her lips as he clicks a few keys on his gauntlet, a bluish holographic computer popping up, gloved fingers busy in typing. "Do you really have to go?" She looks crestfallen, "I mean, I still owe you that cake."

"Duty calls," He turns the computer off, frowning at her. "It's a part of the hero gig." There's a gnawing feeling in his stomach but he brushes it off, taking a step back as he fishes out his grapple gun. He bites his tongue when the clouds above them rumble, the chilly wind blowing again.

"So I guess this is goodbye?"

For some very stupid reason, Kate's sad voice is making him feel awful.

"I guess," Robin murmurs unsurely, his masked eyes meeting her blue ones.

They hold gazes for a few seconds, then Kate releases a breath, clutching the groceries to her chest as she offers a tight smile. "Goodbye, Robin."

It takes him a lot of strength to force a toothy grin, "Bye, Kate." And with that, he gives a two fingered salute, shooting out the grappling hook and swinging towards a nearby zeta tube, trying his best to ignore the numb feeling in his chest.

* * *

**|MOUNT JUSTICE**

**|JUNE 25,19:25 EDT**

"Hey, guys!"

Robin shifts his weight to his right foot, watching as Green Arrow steps out from the zeta tubes. Batman turns to the archer as well, white lenses narrowed into slits.

"Look what I got here!" Green Arrow grins widely, hands holding a descent sized maroon box.

Batman gives him a stern look as he pauses infront of him, " _What_  is this, Oliver?" He questions.

"This isn't for you, Bats." The blonde man rolls his eyes, surprising Robin when he thrusts the box into his arms. "It's for Robin here."

"What is in that box?" Batman demands, voice steel cold.

Green Arrow props his fists on his hips, "I dunno," He gives a half-shrug, then grins as he ruffles Robin's black locks.

Jason scowls, stepping back from the archer's reach.

However, Green Arrow takes no notice of it. "A girl gave it to me outside the Hall of Justice," The blonde man explains before grinning. "She told me it's for Robin. So I came straight here just to deliver this package."

Batman releases a growl, "You cannot take things from unknown people. What if there's something dangerous inside this box? What is if there's a tracking devi—"

"You can condemn me later," Green Arrow cuts him off, attention fully focused on Robin. "Come on, Robin. Open it. Take a look what's inside!" He persists.

But before Batman can order him not to, Robin lets curiosity get to him and he nearly tears the top of the box open. And to their utmost surprise, there's a cake inside it, covered with dark black chocolate. An enormous  _R_  covers its top, all golden and exactly the same replica of the insignia on the right side of Robin's chest.

_'I mean, I still owe you that cake.'_

Jason hears Kate's timid voice echo in his ears.

He expects Batman to say something but the dark knight keeps on staring, his expressions unreadable unlike Green Arrow, who's grinning from ear to ear.

"Awww, Robin's gotta fangirl," He coos. "That's  _adorable_!"

Batman fully notes the way how his adoptive son's ears burn red slightly.

"I remember the first time Roy got his fangirls," Green Arrow chortles, "They were literally throwing themselves at him an—" He quickly quietens when Batman awards him with a glare.

His gaze shifts to the teenager by his side, brows raised in amusement. "Care to explain something, Robin?"

Jason curses under his breath.

* * *

**|GOTHAM CITY**

**|JUNE 26, 10:46 EDT**

The letter in her hand, Kate keeps on reading it over and over again. Her ears ignore the constant squeals of her parents in the background as her gaze sweeps over the letter one last time. Her golden eyebrows knit together on coming to Bruce Wayne's signature at the end of the letter.

"But, mom, dad..." She argues, sounding absolutely perplexed, "I  _didn't_ even apply for a scholarship in Gotham Academy!"


	2. fancy meeting you again

**|GOTHAM CITY**

**|JUNE 29, 13:06 EDT**

It's almost strange as she repeats all the events in her head over and over again. But no matter how many times she does it, there are butterflies in her belly, and her cheeks heat up just a little. When it starts, she assumes the reason that maybe she has a fever. However, she checked her health several times, the thermometer pressed between her lips but according to the medical instrument, she was absolutely alright.

This got her worried a bit. Because the feelings she's having are unreadable by her. They've come out of nowhere. Well, she actually got them three days before today.

Three days since she met Robin.

Three days since he saved her from getting flat like a pancake on the road.

Three days since he became her knight in shining armour.

More like her knight in  _tight spandex_  to be exact.

A giggle leaves her lips on the thought and she shakes her head, reading the price tag of a frilly blue dress.

"What's so funny?" Her mother asks, a smile in her voice.

Kate pouts on seeing the price tag. Too expensive. "Nothing, mom." She replies, her mother's old cell phone tucked between her ear and shoulder.

"The prices here are so expensive!"

Her mother chuckles, "Well, dear. You got a scholarship in such an amazing school. Honestly, you surprised me and your father. We think you deserve an award."

"Yeah, but the dresses here are so expensive. Can't I go to a sale or something?"

"Don't worry about the price, honey. Just choose whatever you like."

Rolling her blue orbs, Kate runs a finger over the dress's sleeve, frowning slightly because it's light as a feather but it almost costs as much as a month load of groceries. She sighs inwardly, blessing her parents love for her.

"I'll call you if I find something I like. Okay, mom?"

Her mother agrees, "Take care, dear. Goodbye!"

"Bye!" Kate bids, hanging up and pocketing the cell phone.

The blonde places a hand on her hip while thrusting the other through her hair, blowing a puff of air from her mouth before she turns around, pondering on buying some new flavour colors instead of a dress or not.

And all of a sudden, she nearly jumps out of her skin as gun fire rings through the atmosphere.

Blue eyes dart around, tongue trapped between teeth because there are a number of men in the mall, all of them tall and heavily armed.

One of them, his face hidden by a black mask, snarls. "Ain't nobody move or there'll be blood littering the tiles!"

An uneasiness settles in her stomach when people around her start screaming bloody murder, bolting towards the exits while some simply run around in circles. Honestly, people aren't any better than sheep when they panic.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kate lowers herself to the ground, mimicking everyone else they had taken hostage.

She folds her arms over her head, pressing her knees more into the floor as guns start shooting bullets again. She winces, the small boy beside her letting out a cry of despair.

"We're gonna die!" He sobs.

Reaching forward, she places a hand on his shoulder. "No one's going to die," She squeezes his shoulder.

His whimpers become shallow and the blonde examines her surroundings, realizing that their captives are not stealing anything. Rather they are waiting, their eyes roaming around the prodigious room, awaiting some kind of response.

A yell hits their ears and Kate has to blink a few times, this ticklish feeling in the pit of her stomach as a figure, covered in red and a little golden, swings across the room.

"You guys having a party?" Robin grins, releasing his grapple gun and slamming his feet on a man's chest.

He reels backwards.

"Guess our invite got lost," The young boy laughs, ducking and crashing his fist against someone's cheek.

But then there's a cackle, two escrima sticks shooting out of nowhere and knocking a man down. Nightwing grins toothily, swiftly recollecting his weapons and sending a kick to the person aiming a bullet at his head.

Kate nibbles on her bottom lip, blue eyes searching desperately for Batman. Instead, her blood freezes for a moment when Robin barely dodges a bullet.

She refrains herself from screaming at them to stop trying to kill the young hero, heart thundering in her chest before she spots an empty hanger from the clothes rack. Without thinking much, she leaps to her feet, picks up the hanger and swings it across the room with full force. Pride fills up her chest when it hits a man hard on his temple, knocking him out cold.

It was a stupid move because in a flash, someone's foot gets buried in her stomach, a gasp flying from her mouth as she's sent into the small boy beside her.

"You little bitch!" The man above her screams, cocking his gun.

But then crackles of bright blue electricity cover his body, eyes rolling back into his head before he collapses to the tiles floor.

Her stomach aches a lot where she had gotten hit, but Kate brushes it aside, blinking back the tears as she helped the boy up into a crouch, attempting to get his sobbing form to quieten.

"Are you alright?"

She lifts her chin, blue eyes coming across white lenses and she forces a smile, "I'll be okay."

Nightwing smiles back, twirling his escrima sticks. "That was brave of you but please leave the saving to the real heroes, okay?"

Kate finds herself answering, "But Robin—"

"Is perfectly capable of protecting himself and everyone else," Nightwing interrupts, then zips over to the boy wonder's side.

Kate chews the insides of her cheeks, patting the crying boy's back as she stares ahead, watching Robin flip through the air, taking down figures who are twice his size.

She wonders if he got the cake she made for him.

An arm snakes around her neck, nearly cutting off her oxygen as her back hits a larger body. Goosebumps scatter over her skin when the icy nuzzle of gun presses into her temple.

"Let my men go otherwise ya're gonna see brains her all over the floor!" Her captive barks, Kate choking slightly due to his strong hold.

Her muscles tense as Nightwing scowls deeply and Robin finally notices her. He blinks behind his mask, then a flash of anger lights his face, gloved hands clenching into tight fists.

"Hurt her and I'll kill you!" He threatens furiously.

The gun digs more into her temple and Kate scowls, opening her mouth wide and then sinking her teeth into the man's hairy arm. A nasty curse vomits from his mouth and she breaks free from his grasp, whirling around and swinging her foot between his legs.

The gun clatters to the floor as he bellows, dropping to his knees with his face twisted it pain. She kicks the gun to the other side of the room.

The blonde grumbles under her breath, patting her shirt straight as Nightwing bolts forward, pushing the man onto his stomach and snapping cuffs around his wrists.

"That was pretty awesome,"

She turns, heart fluttering slightly to find Robin behind her, a smirk evident on his lips. Kate beams, hands clasping infront of her chest but before she can ask if he got her present, he presses a finger to his lips, her eyebrows knitting together as he mimes the message that don't say anything infront of Nightwing.

"I mean, you did a good job,  _citizen_." He gives her a tight smile

Kate raises a brow, not understanding why doesn't he want her to talk when Nightwing's with them.

An idea strikes her and her eyes glitter with mischief.

" _Oh_ , Robin!"

She release a fake cry, surprising the boy wonder as she throws her arms around his neck, dramatically weeping into his chest.

"I was so scared! Thank you so much for saving us all." She cries, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "You're my hero!"

She doesn't know why he's stiffened suddenly but then his arms come around her waist, pulling her closer to him and a heat rises to her cheeks when she feels him place his chin on top of her head, and he takes a small sniff of her golden locks.

"No sweat," He mumbles, a smile in his voice.

She tries to hide the smile slipping on her lips, eyes fluttering close and she squeezes him closer because truth be told, she had been missing him.

Someone clears their throat, unamused. "I actually saved your life." Nightwing pipes up from behind her, sounding slightly miffed.

Kate ignores him, stepping back to offer the boy wonder a smile. She's almost surprised to see as he smiles back, a faint blush dusting his cheeks while he rubs the back of his neck.

Nightwing raises a brow, " _Ahem_." He coughs, "I'm here too, y'know?"

Kate quickly acknowledges him, "Oh, you were cool too, Nightwing." She complements casually, glancing over to Robin again.

None of them notice Nightwing frown.

"I... should be leaving now," Kate manages to say, grinning sheepishly as she straightens her back, swiftly stalking towards the mall's exit.

Nightwing watches her retreating back, masked eyes then sweeping over his successor, taking full note of the smile on his face.

"Okaaaaaay..." He begins, perplexed. "What was that all about?"

"What're you talking about?" And in a second, Robin comes back to his normal self.

"She was  _hugging_  you, Robin."

"Yeah, so?"

"Since when did you let anyone hug you?" Nightwing points out, a hand on his hip. "Actually, you don't even let anyone touch you."

His younger brother rolls his eyes, shifting his weight to his right foot as Commissioner Gordon enters the mall.

Nightwing's ready to question more, but Robin's already taken a step ahead, a cocky smirk firmly plastered on his face.

"Last one back gotta wash the batmobile!"

And then he's running, the acrobat hot on his heels.

* * *

**|GOTHAM CITY**

**|JUNE 30, 8:06 EDT**

Kate doesn't really remember entering for a scholarship. She tries her best to let her parents in about it, but they refuse to listen to her, hugging and pecking her cheeks and praising her for getting an admission in such a great educational center.

It's strange, she thinks. How on earth did Bruce Wayne get her address and sent her a scholarship letter.

She feels sad too. She misses her friends in the old school. Of course, it wasn't as posh and high as Gotham Academy. But she doesn't think she can face rich people who own smartphones that cost more than her father earns in a month.

The blonde puffs her cheeks, the ends of her lips pulling downwards as the books in her arms slip and hit the floor.

A sigh leaves her before she kneels down, "Isn't this my lucky day?" She mumbles sarcastically, reaching forward to collect the scattered notes and papers.

But a larger and stronger hand lands on top of hers and her blue eyes move upwards, meeting the brightest green she had ever seen.

"Hey, there." He smirks.

She quickly snatches her hand back because it feels like it's on fire, attempting to push herself up but her knee slips on a fallen paper and the blonde topples on top of him, forehead slamming into his.

She groans, her vision all blurry for a few seconds, but it doesn't bother him much since he's propped himself on his elbows, the smirk still present and eyes dancing with humor as she pushes herself up, gaze coming across his.

"Oh, well. This is  _awkward_ ," Kate blurts before she can stop herself, face hot as she pulls back on to the cool floor. "Not that you're awkward. We're— I'm awkward. You're  _gorgeous_. Wait, what?"

Her cheeks flush. She did not just spoke her thoughts out loud.

"Uh... Thanks for the compliment, I guess?" He smirks, getting up, his hand clasping around her elbow and with a single pull, she's up on her feet.

Kate tosses an apologetic smile, "Sorry for head butting you like that."

"I've had worse," He replies casually and is it just her, or does his voice sound familiar?

She's busy thinking when he speaks up again, "The name's Jason Todd, by the way." He introduces, hands propped on his hips and his smirk widening slightly.

"I'm Katherine Flynn. But I prefer Kate." The blonde responds honestly, eying his expensive clothes.

She feels a bit nervous all of a sudden.

"So, Kate," Jason grins, "What class do you have?"

"Physics," She answers, glancing over his toned forearms that are exposed due to the sleeves that are rolled up to his elbows and then to the bangs of his shaggy black hair.

"Cool, I've got the same class. 'come on!"

She stares as he starts to walk forward. She quickly follows him, falling in step beside him and feeling perplexed because the students around her are sending are quite astonished looks. Clutching the books closer to her with one arm, Kate rubs her cheeks, then keeps on peering at the moving reflection of her in the lockers from the corners of her eyes as she thinks there's something on her face.

They enter a room and her stomach churns on finding everyone staring at her like she's magically grown a second head.

Her attention snaps back when Jason kicks a chair forward, plopping down on it and dropping his school bag to the floor. He folds his arms behind his head, leaning back into his seat as his green eyes dart up to meet hers, the smirk coming back again.

"Aren't you going to sit down?"

Grip tightening around the strip of her bag, Kate buries her teeth into her bottom lip and she carefully seats herself on the chair beside him, suddenly conscious of the eyes on her.

_Why the hell is everyone trying to burn holes in her head?_


	3. another day, i'm back at school

**|GOTHAM CITY**

**|JUNE 30, 8:43 EDT**

Her lower lip is going to start bleeding because she's chewing on it too much than normal. Blue eyes dart around, the pen in her grasp pausing as she hears a few whispers, all of them directed towards her. It makes the contents in her stomach churn with nervousness and Kate releases a small breath, squirming in her seat as she listens to the hushed voices.

"Who is she?"

"How did she even sit with him?"

"Maybe he knows her? She could be a cousin or sister."

"He's got no relatives."

The ends of her lips pulling downwards, Kate leans back, peering over at Jason on hearing everyone else discuss so openly about him. She feels confused because he's got one elbow propped on the desk, chin resting on top of his fist as he stares at the history teacher, boredom written all over his face.

He doesn't look threatening at all.

The bell rings, signalling the end of class. The history teacher bids them farewell, the students collecting their books and getting ready for next class. Jason quickly catches Kate's attention.

" _Finally_!" He slams his book shut, leaning back and stretching his arms above his head. "Anymore of that history shit and I would've gone asleep."

"History can be pretty boring," Kate replies, searching for something in her bag.

She didn't see the sudden flash of excitement in Jason's eyes, the boy smirking as he focused his gaze on her. But before he could utter a word, she held up a cookie infront of him. "Wants some?" The blonde inquires, offering a friendly smile.

Jason glances at her, then back at the treat. Without a word, he plucks it from her fingers, and then adjusts it between his teeth. Kate pulls out another cookie, taking a bite before rising from her seat. Jason grabs his bag on the floor as Kate collects her books, stuffing them inside her schoolbag. The two stroll out of the room, Kate raising a brow because a few students are openly gaping at her.

"What's up with the stares?" Kate questions, glancing around as they enter a hall.

Not paying much attention to her question, Jason finally chews the cookie. " _Wow_. Thish ish really good," He speaks through a mouth full, smiling broadly as the blonde holds a brown paper bag out. "Help yourself," She smiles.

He feels like Wally as he grabs a fist full of them, crumbs all over his lips as he nibbles on the treat. "You make theesh?"

"Yeah," Kate bounces her shoulders, "I like to bake stu—"

A hip bumps into her, causing her to stagger back, nearly dropping the paper bag in her hands. She blinks, Jason scowling deeply as a young redhead steps infront of them, a hand on her cocked hip and her lips gracing a frown.

"Who the hell are you?"

The question is directed towards Kate.

"I'm... Katherine?" The blonde girl answers unsurely, Jason's scowl deepening even more.

The scarlet haired girl clicks her tongue, "I'm Madison." Her grey eyes sweep over the other girl's appearance. She snorts, "Lem'me guess, you're one of the scholarship students?" She inquires dryly.

Kate cocks a brow, opening her mouth to ask what the redhead wants when Jason beats her to it, "Piss off, Madison!" He snaps.

" _Oooh_ , someone's protective." She whistles, amused. "Since when did you start standing up for charity cases like her?" Madison inquires, glare returning to Kate. "What? You into blondes?" She clasps her hands together, gaze coming back to the taller boy as she bats her eyelashes. "I can really dye my hair blonde if you want, y'know?"

Kate watches, intrigued when Jason raises an eyebrow, ready to spit out an insult before a deeper voice pipes up, hissing and growling.

"You flirting with my girl  _again_ , Todd?"

And then a boy appears, all muscle and taller than anyone of them. He's scowling, glare menacing and hands balled into fists at his sides. Madison rolls her eyes, stepping aside as he takes her place. A few students around them start murmuring and Kate comes to realize that his name is Andrew.

Jason sneers, "Your girl's a  _slut_."

Teeth gritting together, Andrew hisses, "What did you just say?!"

And Kate thinks that's enough. " _Okay_!" The blonde pipes up, stepping forward and placing a hand on Jason's shoulder.

Her gaze comes up to meet Andrew's and she flashes a friendly smile, ignoring how the cookies in Jason's grip are falling to the floor in the form of crumbs because his hold is tightening on them.

"Let's not start fighting," She wants the situation to cool down.

Andrew's gaze flicks from her to him, a slow coy smirk lifting the corners of his lips. " _Huh_ ," He lets out a snarl, "Looks like Wayne and Grayson finally got bored of their boy whore."

Kate doesn't know what he means, but there's a flash of anger in Jason's eyes, a furious growl escaping his throat and he literally pounces on Andrew, knocking him to the floor. She watches, horrified when Andrew kicks the shorter teen off him, leaping to his feet.

"I hit a nerve, didn't I, street rat?"

Jason's jaw clenches and he's prepared to knock Andrew's teeth in when Kate gets closer to the taller teen, hand reaching out, grimacing. "Someone's really going to get hur—"

She gets cut off as Andrew's elbow hits her jaw, sending her stumbling back into the lockers. A strange liquid pools into her mouth and she forgets how Jason charges back on Andrew as her tongue runs across her teeth before tapping the roof of her mouth, a horrid copper flavour being sensed by her taste buds.

Finger tips brush over her lips and blue eyes stare, wide as marbles on seeing blood tainting them. And soon her jaw clenches, pain shooting through her mouth because of the action as a heated glare fixes itself on Andrew. But if one looks closely, they could observe her eyes flash red just for a brief moment. In a flash, her fist is buried in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he hits the floor. Kate wants to hiss at him, but just as her mouth opens, blood spills out, trickling down her chin in red streams.

"What is the meaning of this?!" A voice shrieks, all eyes landing on a teacher who looks anything but pleased.

His attention snaps to the bleeding blonde and he blinks rapidly, "Todd!" The man scowls, pointing a finger to Kate. "Get her to the nurse's office  _now_!"

He looks back at Andrew who's staggering up, a violet bruise forming on his cheek.

"You're coming with me to the principal's office."

A pang of pain erupts from Kate's mouth, a groan flying from her lips before a hand clasps around her elbow, another one landing on her shoulder and before she knows it, she's being dragged ahead without her permission.

"That was one heck of a punch," Jason grins toothily, patting her back.

Kate wipes her lips with the back of her hand, "First day of school and I got myself into a fight," She deadpans, shrugging his hands off her.

Jason gives her space, jamming his fists into pockets of his jeans. "You might wanna stay away from Madison and Andrew. The two are real shitheads." He advises, and Kate wants to ask why does he abuse so much but instead, a groan leaves her, jaw aching horribly.

Green eyes softening, Jason purses his lips, "Sorry for getting you hurt like that."

"It wasn't your fault," Kate frowns, then sighs. "And anyway, friends gotta look out for each other." She cracks a grin and Jason has this knot in his chest because her teeth are stained with blood.

He manages to smirk, but his brows furrow when she releases a groan, rubbing her jaw. "I can carry you, if you want?" He suggests, feeling mildly embarrassed as the words slip out of his mouth.

Kate arches a blonde eyebrow, "You wanna carry me?"

"If you  _want_  me to, that is." Jason huffs, the tips of his ears going pink as he finds the floor very interesting to look at. "You look pretty hurt."

She doesn't know how to respond, "That's really kind of you, Jason. But my legs aren't broken."

"Well, excuse me for being nice." He snorts, sarcasm dripping from his tone as he steps forward, pushing open a full white door.

A smirk lifts the corners of his lips as she follows him inside, then pauses on seeing a woman dressed up in a nurse's uniform, typing away on her cellphone. "Hey, Amy!" Jason speaks up, leaning against a wall. "You've gotta patient."

The nurse rolls her eyes, placing her cellphone aside. "What did you get yourself into this time, Jason?" She inquires amusingly, rising up from the chair.

He responds by jabbing his thumb in Kate's direction, "Her mouth is bleeding."

The woman's eyes come to her and she gasps, rushing closer. "Goodness gracious! Are you alright?" She gently cups her cheeks, tilting Kate's chin up. But before the blonde can answer, the nurse snaps her head at the boy.

"Did you do this to her?" She demands.

Jason rolls his eyes, "'Course, not. Just give her some meds, will you?"

"Oh, yes!" The nurse straightens up immediately, placing a hand onto the younger girl's back and shoving her towards Jason. "Get her to the sink!"

Kate tumbles into him, but strong hands grip her shoulders pulling her back and guiding her towards a nearby white sink. She mumbles a small thank you, opening the tap and cupping the water in her hands. She sucks the cold water into her mouth, then spits, staring as blood comes out with her saliva.

"Sorry if this seems gross," She apologizes, sipping the cold water again and rinsing it in her mouth.

A hand pats her back, "It's alright. I've actually seen a lot more blood than this." Jason informs, and she spits out again, leaning against the sink.

The nurse calls out to him, "Jason, stop flirting with your girlfriend and come help me find some painkillers."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"I'm not his girlfriend."

Kate smiles meekly, but feels perplexed as a red hue rises to his cheeks and he turns swiftly, cursing under his breath when he nearly knocks into a nearby table. She returns her attention to the running water, sucking it in and spitting out again.

* * *

**|GOTHAM CITY**

**|JUNE 30, 14:04 EDT**

"So good day, right?"

"I guess, it was. Minus the part where there was my blood in my mouth."

Kate clicks her tongue as soon as they walk into the school's enormous lawn. She tightens the grip on the strip of her bag, peering upwards and frowning to see golden clouds hovering in the sky. A cool winds blows, sending a few locks of hair into her eyes.

She tugs them behind her ear as Jason begins, "I could ask Alfred if we could drop you to your house."

For a second, she wants to ask who Alfred is but she assumes he maybe a driver. "Thanks, Jason. But I can take the bus."

"You sure?"

"Definitely." She responds honestly.

Wind blows again and she struggles with her hair, thinking that she should probably ask her mother to buy her a hairband. She sees Jason shuffle his feet awkwardly before he scratches the back of his head, green eyes looking down at her skeptically.

"So,  _uh_ , you wanna exchange numbers?"

"Sure!" Kate chirps, slipping out a pen from the pocket of her blazer and surprising him when she catches his hand. "This is actually my mom's cell number," She scribbles down the digits over his calloused palm, not noticing his face heat up.

"But you can use it so you can, y'know?" She laughs, shooting a tight grin. "Call me beep me, if you wanna reach me." She winks, holding the pen out to him.

He curiosity gazes at it, then plucks it out from her grasp. "You can gim'me your number now," Kate explains, smiling broadly as she opens her palm wide.

His face flushes slightly, pen shaking a little as he grasps her hand gently, jotting down the number on her clear palm. Kate raises a brow, amused because his writing comes off distorted and he carefully hands the pen back, heat crawling up his neck.

"Goodbye, Jason!" She takes a step back.

The color returns to him and he smirks, "Bye, Kate!"

Parting her way, she waves at him, stalking out of the building. Blue eyes peer up at the sky again, the wind cool against skin and her heart flutters as she silently wishes to see familiar masked eyes again.


	4. cross my path again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm gonna stop writing dates since basically this all takes place in Gotham. Secondly, they're making it difficult for me to write (why did I put them there in the first place!)
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

 

* * *

When she had tried to get out of bed and ended up hitting the floor with her feet tangled in the bed sheet, on that precise moment, Kate realized that her day was going to be awful. She still prayed for the best, quickly getting ready for school and barely making in time before the second bell rang.

Four days in Gotham Academy and she came to the conclusion that everyone avoided her; except for Jason who was more than willing to help her with anything. So admiring his friendly attitude towards her, she didn't waste much time befriending him.

But unfortunately he was absent today so she ended up sitting all by herself. She mentally cursed when a surprise test of Physics was placed infront of her.

It was only twelve when she had pulled out a bunch of pastries she had baked for lunch. The blonde had just taken a bite, unaware of a foot sticking out in her path. The pastry got smeared all over her nose as she face planted to the tiled floor, blue eyes moving up and flashing red for a second as they met the form of none other than Madison.

And when Madison went all hissing like a cat out of water, snapping that she didn't how the blonde got Bruce Wayne's ward wrapped around her finger, that was the exact moment when Kate realized something Jason had forgot to tell her.

He was Bruce Wayne's  _son_.

Not biological but still, Gotham's most richest business man was his guardian.

A sinking feeling settling in her stomach, she staggered up, grabbing a nearby lunch tray and tossing whatever was on it in Madison's face.

Then, she yelled,  _"Food fight!"_

If Jason had been here, he would've been so proud of her as students thrashed the cafeteria food in each others faces, stating the floor, chairs, tables and even the ceiling with ketchup, mustard and whatever they got their hands on.

So as Kate stepped out of school, she combed her fingers through her locks in an attempt to get cream and pieces of cucumber out of her hair.

Unfortunately, she had even managed to miss the bus and just as she thought this day couldn't get any worse, the clouds in the dark sky thundered and soon, rain showered over Gotham City.

As Jason would say it,  _well, fuck._

Kate scowls deeply, blowing at a wet lock falling over her eyes before she moves her feet, trudging down the empty street. Her shoes land into puddles, and she comes to realize that her schoolbag is, indeed, water absorbing. She curses her bad luck, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she pats her bag, fully aware that her notes and books are soaked in rain water.

Her house isn't much far away; a half an hour walk from here but fate has other plans instored for her. Like a mugger stepping out from a dirty alley and demanding her valuables.

For a second, she wants to tell him that she doesn't have anything valuable on her, except if he wants to take her wet books and pens. However, one glance at the rusty gun in his hand makes her think otherwise, so she obediently holds out the crumpled money that her mother had given her for the bus ticket and the artificial gold earrings which were a birthday present from her father.

The man quickly snatches them and her heart leaps up to her throat as he pulls the trigger, the gun fire mixing with the sound of rain hitting the pavement.

Her head spins for a second, the world going blurry and Kate's legs feel funny so she decides to sit down. All sounds around her disappear, everything completely silent but her ears continue ringing with the rapid beats of her heart.

There's a sudden flash of red and the man collapses to the ground before her. Then a voice pipes up, shouting her name.

"Kate! Are you okay?!"

Hands land on her shoulders, shaking her violently but her chest heaves, breathing fast.  _I got shot_ , her brain shrieks,  _I'm going to die!_

Suddenly, she gasps, running her hands around her torso, desperately searching for a bullet wound. There was no pain, no bleeding, simply  _nothing_  but she didn't stop, until someone grabbed her hands, yanking her up on her feet.

Blue eyes moved upwards, only to come across white lenses peering down at her with worry.

"The-the... bullet... it-it..." Her voice is stuck in her throat, "hit me! It... hit me!"

Robin frowns, "No, it didn't. The bastard missed."

"B-but I heard the f-fire... and—"

"You're fine, Kate." He assures and she swallows, inhaling sharply as she pulls her shaking hands out from his grasp.

Everything around her trembling form comes back to life and she finally hears the sound of rain. And then she notices that Robin's wet hair is plastered to his forehead.

"Why aren't you at home?"

She rubs her face with cold hands, "I missed the bus."

A clap of thunder booms, rain growing heavy as the dense clouds block away the sun completely. She traps her tongue between her teeth, blinking when he clasps a hand around her elbow, pulling her forward and she nearly trips.

"Well, let's fucking walk then," Robin growls, but her frozen legs are still not cooperating so she leans into him, shivering as his arm wraps around her shoulders.

"What're you doing here?" She finds herself asking.

"Just came back from a mission in Bialya. Wanted to stop by your house and say thanks for the cake."

Kate blinks, "You know where I live?"

There's a beat of silence then, "Uh, _yeah_?"

 _Well, this is awkward_.

Her face heats up, " _Oh_."

She assumes he might be thinking that she's always stuck in life threatening situations but that's not entirely true. She's just in places at very inappropriate timings. Yes, that's it. She has very bad timings. Then again, her luck was very bad today.

Her form is soaked in water from head to toe as they stop down an old bus stop, rain drops creating a strange rhythm as they collide with the small shelter above their heads. Kate lets out a breath, Robin offering her a lopesided smile.

"Having a shitty day?"

She squeezes her eyes shut, thrusting a hand through her hair as she steps back. "You have no ide—  _ah_!"

Her foot slips over the water on the floor, and her back slams against the side wall. But before she could fully slump to the floor, gloved hands clenched her arms, holding her firmly to the wall.

Kate cracks her eyes open, "You really need to stop saving me." She laughs.

The boy wonder gives a smirk, "Do you want me to?"

"Not really," She responds honestly, smiling. "I like it when you're around."

The blonde straightens up but he doesn't let go so she feels perplexed, but as she parts her lips to ask what's wrong, he cuts her off quickly.

"Hey, Kate?"

She peers up, blue orbs meeting pure whites of his mask. " _Yeah_?"

"Can I kiss you?"

A bouquet of red roses blossoms in her cheeks as she stares, dumbfounded and utterly speechless because his question was absolutely surprising. The redness of his face doesn't go unnoticed by her as she blurts the first sentence that comes to her mind.

"I don't even know your name!"

She instantly bites her tongue, cursing her big mouth because he looks slightly taken aback by her sudden outburst before a frown crosses his face. Her heart clenches in her chest upon hearing him mutter a small apology as he pulls back but her hand swiftly reaches out, grabbing his front collar.

"But you can if you want to." She informs hurriedly.

A small smirk slips on his face and then he dips his head down, tenderly pressing his lips against hers.

Kate melts.

There's no other word to describe it because even though it's so cold and wet out here, his lips are warm and soft. Her eyes flutter close, heart hammering in her ribcage as she tugs at his collar, pulling him closer, closer and  _closer_  until he's completely above her, his palms pressed over either sides of her shoulders, trapping her to the wall.

Her legs feel like jelly suddenly; knees bending a little as she lowers herself a bit, breaths fast as he pulls back, staring down at her, face warm.

"Can you walk from here?" Batman's protégé inquires, his hot breath tickling her lips.

She stares, blue eyes half-lidded, "Aren't you gonna come to my house?"

"I'll visit some other time," He promises, then leans down to gently peck her lips, making her heart flutter and her eyes squeeze shut.

She barely hears him bid farewell, and as she peeks out again, he's already gone, the only things in her sight being empty plastic chairs. The yellow headlights of a nearing bus catches her attention and Kate winces when it gives a loud honk, waiting impatiently for her to get in.

Teeth burying into her bottom lip, she fishes out some emergency money from her bag, heart still banging against her ribs as she steps inside the bus, taking a ticket and sitting down on a nearby empty seat.

The bus moves and she rests her head on the glass of the cold window, ignoring the hitting of rain drops from outside. She's too busy calming down her heart beats at the moment.


	5. everything you do

Words had never affected him much. The only time they did was when someone compared him to the first Robin. Now that was when he got furious, an urge inside him to knock in the teeth of whoever would dare to say that. That person was mostly Bruce, though.

But the damn bastard would flip him to the floor whenever he tried landing a punch on him even in training. The old man was always nagging about how he needed to concentrate, how he needed to think with his head and not his fists, how he needed to be mature.

_Don't let anger control you, Jason._

_Listen to orders, Jason._

_If Dick was there, he would've handled the situation better, Jason._

_Dick would have done better, Jason._

Those were the damn words he used to hear more than once a day; either from Bruce or his teammates who he was usually assigned stupid missions with. It fueled his anger and it almost made him want to claw their faces out with his bare hands.

But the words on his mind at the moment were different, causing an uneasiness to settle in his stomach.

_'I don't even know your name.'_

The sentence rang in his head like a bell, ringing every time his thoughts wandered to a certain blonde girl he knew. It would repeat with her a familiar hushed voice, whispering over and over again, making him press his forehead harder against the cool counter top.

There was this strange bitter feeling in his chest whenever he thought about it because she already knew him. Well, didn't know that he was the same person with two different names.

Secret identities sucked.

"Penny for your thoughts, Master Jason?"

Alfred's calm voice hits his ears and Jason grumbles a curse which thankfully gets muffled because he has his face pressed to the counter top. The dark haired teen straightens his back, folding his arms over the counter.

He purses his lips, pondering for a moment to start or not but then begins anyway, "Hey, Alfred?"

The butler takes a few carrots, chopping them down. "Yes, Master Jason?"

"The guys who first made the Team... uh, the  _original_  six members, right?" He watches as Alfred nods, busy in finishing the last carrot.

"I believe their names are Kid Flash, Aqualad, Miss Martian, Artemis and Master Richard who was Robin at that time," Alfred muses, pushing the carrots with a knife and into the boiling water. "What about them, young sir?"

Jason leans out a bit, "They all know about Dick's identity, right?"

"I believe so," The old man raises a gray eyebrow, Jason continuing. "How did Bruce even allowed him to tell them?" He inquires, trying his very best to sound nonchalant.

"Master Richard's teammates are quite trustworthy. After seeing their loyalty and trust towards Robin, Master Bruce allowed him to tell them about himself."

Jason scowls slightly, drumming his fingers on the counter when Alfred turns to him, brows raised and looking amused. "Why have you asked this, Master Jason?"

He mentally swears, "Uh, no reason." He gives an innocent smile, hopping off the stool and moving towards the kitchen's exit.

Flipping out his smartphone, he dials in number, then places it against his ear. He stuffs his other hand into his pocket as someone picks up.

"Hello. Can I talk to Kate?"

A familiar voice rings in his ear, "Well, you're lucky. This is Kate." She laughs, "And who's this?"

"Hey,  _Rapunzel_." He grins broadly, using the nickname he had given her a few days ago when she was complaining how her hair got into her eyes all the time. Her hair was very long, falling down to her hips and she refused to tie it up at any costs.

So he named her after a stupid Disney movie his stupid older brother had forced him to watch months ago.

"Hello to you too, Jason." He imagines her rolling those blue eyes.

The current boy wonder clicks his tongue, tipping his head up. "Wanna go and watch a movie?"

"You wanna watch a movie?"

"I'm pretty bored. There's nothing to do so you wanna check out the cinema?"

"Jason, we have a biology test on Monday."

"It's on  _Monday_. Today's Friday. We got the weekend to work on."

He waits for her to answer, but instead she sighs then speaks up again. "Wait a sec, Kay?"

A frown pulls the corners of his lips downwards because he really wants to see her, but he nods nonetheless, even knowing that she can't see him. And then he quickly holds the phone away from his ear since Kate starts shouting very loudly.

"HEY, MOM! CAN I INVITE A FRIEND OVER?"

He winces as her mother shouts back with a similar pitch.

"Jason, she's saying yes. You can totally come over to my house now." Kate beams at him through the phone and he rubs his ear, rolling his eyes. "That's cool."

"I'll send you the address!"

He restricts himself from informing her that he already knows where her house is.

* * *

A few knocks at the door and one bell later, the door creaks open, a woman steps infront of him and Jason stares because she doesn't look anything like Kate. Her eyes aren't blue, rather they are a deep shade of green like his and instead of long blonde locks, her brown hair barely touches her shoulders.

"Can I help you?" The woman asks warmly.

"Uh, yeah," He starts, thinking that he sounds stupid. "I'm Kate's friend. Is this her house?"

And the woman's green eyes sparkle, "Why yes, it is!" She chirps, stepping back in the house. "I'm her mother."

"I'm Jason." He replies, now coming to notice that she isn't wearing any shoes.

Mrs. Flynn offers him a bright smile, gesturing to come inside. "Please take your shoes off, Jason. I don't like getting dirt on the carpet." She advises and he takes his sneakers off, strolling inside as she shuts the door behind him.

The house isn't big; it's small, has old but fully maintained furniture and there's this sweet scent that he used to smell whenever he sneaked inside a bakery to steal some butter tarts when he lived on the streets.

"This is the first time she's brought a boy home," Mrs. Flynn muses excitedly, "And my, aren't you a handsome young man!"

He quirks an eyebrow, offering a gentle smile when he hears steps and relief fills his lungs when Kate appears, blinking at him surprisingly before she grins from ear to ear, bouncing over to his side.

"Jason, you made it!" She greets, rubbing her flour covered hands on her tee shirt. Her eyes spot her mother, "And you met mom too, I suppose?"

Mrs. Flynn smiles softly and Jason's muscles tense as she reaches out, his Robin training kicking in but he suppresses it when the woman pinches his cheek gently.

"You two have fun, alright?" She smiles, "Just don't destroy the kitchen." She teases.

Jason feels perplexed, but heat snakes up his neck as Kate hooks her arm with him, the blonde rolling her eyes with amusement. "Don't worry, mom. We won't," She assures, dragging him away from the woman. "You just go and take care of Blake."

"Who's Blake?" Jason raises a brow as they enter the kitchen, Kate moving forward and pulling something out a blue basket.

"He's my little brother," She answers distractedly before tossing something in his direction, " _Catch_!"

And he instantly does catches it, looking highly amused to find that it's nothing more than a mere blue apron. "What's this for?" He questions, Kate skidding behind him and he's taken aback when she snatches the apron from his hand and quickly ties it behind him.

"We're gonna make cupcakes!" She cheers gleefully and his eye twitches, hands already moving to remove the cloth over him.

"Oh, no," Jason scowls, "There's no fucking way I'm—  _mphhh_!" He is rudely interrupted by a hand clamping over his mouth, the blonde beside him snorting as she glares.

"You do not want my mom to hear you cursing. She's seriously gonna wash your mouth with soap," Kate warns, blinking as something wet slides over her palm.

" _Ew_!" She juts her lips out in disgust, "You licked my hand!"

His ears burning up, Jason releases a laugh as she fixes him with a glare, pouting. "Real mature, Jason." The girl rolls her eyes again, wiping her hand with his sleeve.

Shaking his head, Jason crosses his arms over his chest, a smirk quirking the ends of his mouth. "What do you want me to do?"

"Grab a steel bowl from the top shelf!" Kate orders and he turns, reaching up to take the bowl but his hand ends up hitting the wooden shelf, the crockery rattling due to the impact and it comes falling to the floor.

A curse flies from his mouth when the bowl falls upside down and lands on top of his head. Kate quickly catches a frying pan before it hits the chipped floor, an amused smile tugging her lips as she pushes the bowl's corner up from his nose, only to find green eyes glaring down at her.

"Easy there, tiger." She teases, giggling as he removes the bowl, handing it to her.

"Okay, so we're gonna add flour." Kate muses, placing down a large spoon on the counter. She arches a blonde brow as Jason grumbles under his breath before he roughly picks up a small sack of floor, tearing it's mouth open and clenching its corners.

Her eyes widen in alarm, "Jason,  _no_!"

But he already holds the sack upside down, dumping the flour all inside the bowl. The action causes clouds of white flour to erupt around them, leaving both of them covered head to toe in the dusty white ingredient.

Kate snaps her eyes open as Jason spits out some of the flour in his mouth. His attention focuses on the girl at his right and he offers a sheepish smile, "You look like a ghost." He jokes, attempting to cool the situation down as Kate wipes her face, groaning loudly.

He expects her to hiss at him; throw a spoon at his head and scream to leave the kitchen but instead, she sighs heavily, blue eyes peering up at him through blonde lashes and blood is definitely rushing up to his cheeks because her hands grab onto his, giving a slight squeeze.

"Let's not fight with the ingredients, okay?" She suggests, smiling softly.

Thank the Lord that the white flour doesn't give away his heated face as he nods firmly. And surprisingly, when they add sugar along with everything else that is needed in the recipe to make raspberry cupcakes, nothing blows up or is dropped by him. So when Jason reaches out to taste the batter, Kate smacks his hand away with a spoon.

Ignoring his miniature batglare, she snorts, "You're not supposed to put your fingers in it, Jason."

He rolls his eyes, "Whatever you say, Rapunzel." A smirk curls the corners of his lips upwards, hand itching towards the bowl again but the boy wonder winces when the spoon comes hard on top of his hand again.

"Aw, come on!" Jason protests, "At least lem'me taste it!"

"No tasting anything until it's fully cooked," Kate declares, quickly snatching the bowl before he decides to dip his fingers into it again and pouring the mixture into the cupcake moulds by a spatula.

Jason doesn't do cooking— _baking_? Whatever! But it's not an opportunity he's going to miss because with each brush of his body against hers, for some very stupid reason, is making butterflies attack his stomach and having his heart beat increase a wee bit faster than it usually is.

But when he's assigned to make icing and he attempts to shove it all inside the piping bag, resulting it to burst into his face, Jason is clearly not feeling the aster. He growls—  _literally_   _growls_ —, the purple icing all over his face, then he rolls his eyes, huffing.

"I know, I know," He mocks sarcastically, rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time, "Don't fight with the ingredients,  _bla_ ,  _bla_..."

A fingertip wipes a little icing off his cheek and he blinks, face catching fire as Kate licks it off her finger.

" _Mhmmm_ , Jason." She hums, then laughs heartily. "You're so sweet!"

If it was possible, his face turns to an even a deeper shade of red. Fuck, she didn't just do that. His brain is probably malfunctioning.

 _Shit_.  _Shit_.  _Shit_.  _Shit_.  _Shit_.  _Shit_ —

A beep rings in the atmosphere, cutting off his storming thoughts and Kate grins toothily, pulling out a tray of cupcakes out of the oven. There's a spring in her step as she hops over to his side, placing the tray on the counter, babbling happily about how they need to cool down and then proceeds to help him in making the icing again.

Now Jason Todd does  _not_  get flustered.

But  _damn_  it, she's messing with his brain!

"Hey, Jason. You wanna try the first one?"

He raises a brow at the cupcake being held infront of his face. Slowly, he tips his head forward, biting down into it, careful not to have his lips even touch her fingertips. The sweet flavour of raspberries and vanilla burst against his taste buds and he hums, eyes shining, pleased.

"It'sh sho good!"

If Alfred was here, the butler would've scolded him in talking with his mouth full.

Kate bites into the other side, a smile tugging her lips instantly. "You're right!" She nods affirmatively, "Thish ish aweshome!"

He picks up another cupcake, nibbling on it before Kate lightly punches his arm, looking highly impressed. "Aren't you a good chef?" She teases, nudging him with her elbow.

A proud smirk comes to his lips, albeit the light blush dusting his cheeks.

This was so better than watching a movie.


	6. you and me, and this temptation

_"Catch!"_

And Kate quickly catches whatever Jason had thrown at her. She stares, a box between her hands, wrapped in a sparkling red sheet. She looks up at him, confused. He smirks coyly, seating himself on the chair beside her.

"Aren't you gonna open it?" He questions, gently nudging her arm with his elbow.

Kate purses her lips, "What's in the box, Jason?"

"Why don't you open it and find out, Rapunzel?"

A curious glance towards him, she gently plucks at the yellow ribbon around the rectangular box, careful not to damage the wrapping. The colors decorating the box go unnoticed by her as she picks out a shining smartphone from inside it, her thumb brushing against the Wayne logo on the phone's casing.

"Is this for me?" She sounds highly surprised.

"No, it's for the janitor." Jason's tone is laced with sarcasm. "Of course, it's for you!"

Teeth burying into her bottom lip, Kate sends him an incredulous look, "I can't take this. It looks so expensive!" She places the phone back in the box, holding it towards him.

But his hands clamp around hers, cheeks warming up slightly as he shakes his head, an eyebrow raised in amusement. "You're not supposed to return gifts," Jason snorts, pushing the box back towards her.

She still looks skeptical so he pipes up, leaning back in his chair. "I already added my number. Even Bruce's and Dick's in case something goes wrong."

In return, she blinks. "Who's Dick?"

Jason ignores the question, "Why don't you check the phone out? I can help if there's something confusing you." He suggests, watching as she slides her thumb over its locked screen, a number of items popping up.

A smirk curls the corners of his lips as she presses on the front camera, the screen showing off her image. But he's absolutely surprised when Kate shifts closer to him, butterflies attacking his stomach as she loops an arm around his neck.

"What're you doing?" He blurts out.

He sees her grin in the front camera, "Taking a selfie with my best friend," Kate chirps, "Now let's see a smile, Jason!"

Green eyes peeking down at her before returning back to the phone, Jason smirks, the blonde beside him grinning toothily as she snaps a picture.

* * *

The room is dark, the only source of light being a flashlight, clutched tightly by her as she continued reading the book in her lap. Back resting against the bed's headboard, Kate flips through a page, clicking her tongue while doing so.

She's already prepared her history test of tomorrow. And since she's not sleepy, so what better way is to kill the time by enjoying one of her steamy romance novels that her parents don't know she's got hidden inside a locked drawer.

Probably best if they never find out, though.

A faint click hits her ears and she literally falls out of bed as her window is pushed open. Her form hits the floor with a thud, and she quickly snatches the flashlight that had rolled away from her, then focuses its light on the figure.

Her heart hammers in her chest, but she squints her eyes when the light switch of her room is clicked on.

"Hope you didn't mind that I came in without an invite," Robin greets smugly.

She stares at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish when her eyes spot the redness tainting his sleeve. She scrambles to her feet, swallowing. "Is... Is that  _blood_?"

"Nice to see you too," He replies sarcastically, hissing when she pokes his forearm, as if he's a test subject. "The  _fuck_? You don't go touching people's cuts like that!" He snarls, teeth gritting together in pain as she rolls up his sleeve.

A long cut greets her, carved from a knife and dripping with blood. His arm is covered in redness, making bile rise up to her throat. Kate bites her bottom lip, "Where did you get this?"

"It's a long story," The boy wonder waves his other hand nonchalantly, crouching down on the foot of her disheveled bed. "But to make it short, there were a lot of guys with knives and one got me."

The blonde takes sometime to absorb his words, "And where's Batman?"

A scowl graces Robin's features as he bounces his shoulders, "Who cares?" He all but sneers, "Do you have a first aid kit or something?"

She really wants to ask him more questions, but he's bleeding over her bedsheets so she nods, hurriedly stalking out of her room, then down the stairs before pausing near the kitchen. Tip toeing inside, she opens a cabinet, trying her best to be silent incase her parents don't wake up and question what Batman's protégé is doing in her room.

Taking out the first aid box, she even snatches onto the small jar of cookies she had baked this evening. Hopefully, Jason won't mind it if she shared some of his favorite treats with a vigilante.

"Here you go," Kate plops down on the bed, twisting the jar's lid open and thrusting it towards Robin.

Then she opens the first aid box, listening to Robin's instructions on how to bind his injury all the while he nibbles on a chocolate chip cookie. She flinches away as he hisses when her fingers wipe alcoholic cotton near the cut's edges. And then he starts to vent about his teammates and Batman, using curses here and there but also pausing to tell her where the masking tape should turn and fold.

"The whole fucking Team wants the old Robin back," The boy wonder continues, "They don't say it, but damn, their faces practically scream it. Hell, I'm pretty sure Bru-Batman wants that too."

"Why don't you just talk to him about it?" Kate responds distractedly, still fiddling with the remains of the medical cloth. "Y'know, make him realize how you feel and everything?"

"I don't talk about my feelings," He rolls his eyes beneath his mask, "That's  _sappy_. I hate sappy." Robin snorts, glancing over his arm as Kate closes the first aid box with a click.

"And anyway," She hears him release a long, heavy sigh as he fixes the floor with a heated glare, "Everyone  _hates_  me."

Bitterness pools in his chest on hearing him say that, looking disappointed and dreadful. Her hand unconsciously reaches out, fingers touching the side of his arm. " _I_  like you," She smiles warmly, but then realizes what she just said, a pink hue rising to her cheeks.

Robin blinks, turning towards her, almost surprised on her words and her heart flutters as the corners of his mouth pull upwards into a smirk.

"Of course, you do." He smirks, gloved hand curling around her jaw.

And before Kate's knows it, his thumb tips her chin up a little and soft chapped lips fall over hers. He can probably hear her heart banging loudly against her ribcage, a small squeak leaving her throat because she's lying on her back and he's above her, straddling her hips between his knees.

The small bed creaks due to their combined weight, the blonde's arms wrapping around Robin's neck as he gently nips at her bottom lip. A pleasant heat spreads in her stomach, making her chest numb for some strange reason as he pulls back, and Kate wonders what his eyes look like without the mask.

His presses their lips together again.

She bets their absolutely breathtaking.

"I love you, Robin." She murmurs against his lips, the words rolling off her tongue before she can think them through.

But Kate freezes as his muscles tense up. Then she stares, stomach dropping due to the reason he's pulled back, hovering above her form and staring at her like she's just insulted him and his family altogether.

A beat of second or two passes by, and there's a pang of pain rising from her heart as he rolls off her, feet hitting the floor. "I need to go," Robin speaks up, sounding a little exasperated.

Her breath hitches but she steels her emotions, hopping to his side and nodding firmly. "See you later then?"

"Yeah," The boy wonder agrees, moving towards the open window, the blonde following behind him.

He bids farewell but she doesn't really respond, offering a crooked smile and watching him swing away into the dark night of Gotham. Her hands are definitely not shaking as she pushes the window open—  _she's lying_ — and no, tears are not brimming in her blue eyes—  _again, she's lying._

But her heart feels sour, bitterness spreading in her chest as she leans her back against the side wall, eyes screwing shut and Kate's trying her best to fight back hot tears.

"Oh, God." She thrusts a hand through her golden locks, "What have I gotten myself into?"


	7. they don't know how special you are

Jason Todd isn't cold hearted. He just doesn't like talking how he feels. Because of this, he's got these invisible walls around him, that he doesn't let down for anyone. But he once allowed Bruce in, when he was small, stealing tires off the bat mobile. He thought that maybe Bruce believed in him; thought that Jason was worth more than a messed up street rat who had the gall enough to steal from the infamous Batman himself.

And when he was handed the Robin costume, Jason deduced that maybe life was taking a better turn for him. He finally had a home, a family and a goal to achieve. He didn't need to fight for living anymore. But he was young, naïve and stupid. Foolish to think he'd be as great as Bruce or Dick one day.

Of course, he's aggressive and a bit hot tempered, but everyone expects him to be like the first Robin. He tries at first; to be like his predecessor but it doesn't work simply because Jason is Jason. He can't be someone he's not.

So as he grows older, as himself and as Robin. He comes to realize that nobody really likes him. All they see in him is a boy bursting with anger, put in a place where he doesn't actually belong.

At first, it had hurt a  _lot_.

But then he thinks it through, coming to the conclusion that nobody in his whole life ever cared for him. His father was a criminal, his mother a drug addict and Bruce— the only person he looked up to, expected to make proud, was just tired of him and his aggressive behavior; lecturing him all the time and absent mindedly comparing him to the original Robin.

So since nobody showed any concern to him, he didn't either. But Kate was making his angry façade cripple, causing cracks to appear on his protective shields and  _fuck_ , it was messing with his brain.

She just had to use those three words. Just had to play with his emotions. Just had to make him think that if he admitted them too, he would somehow wind up hurting her.

He was afraid that he couldn't live up to her expectations. Hell, he couldn't fulfil the expectations of Bruce and his so called teammates. He was just an angry young teenager who everybody scolded and jabbed at.

But when school started the next day and Kate came in with her usually happy demeanor gone and slumped into her seat, before continuing to fold her arms over the desk and burying her face in them, he couldn't help but feel like as if someone had kicked him in the gut.

Did he love her? Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't.  _Shit_. It was complicated.

Chewing on his bottom lip, he neared her a little, asking that if she was alright. The only thing he got was a muffled 'I'm fine' which really didn't sound like she was telling the truth.

The day goes on, a strange knot in his chest that continued to tighten after each passing second.

* * *

Nightwing's on east side, Batgirl's in the west, and Batman's busy with a case involving the Riddler and Poison Ivy so as Robin's appointed south of Gotham, he finds himself tapping the glance of a window, his thoughts and decisions tangled in a mess.

The window gets pushed open and he slides in the room, Kate offering him a smile that doesn't reach her eyes as she searches for any cuts or bruises on his form.

"Are you hurt again?" She inquires softly, again poking his forearm. "And how's the cut from yesterday?"

Instead of answering, he licks his lower lip, holding out his hand. "I... need to talk to you,"

Blue eyes glance at his open palm, then look towards him. "You can't talk here?"

There's this strange numbness in his chest but he ignores it, tossing a smirk, acting nonchalant. "Better if we talk out," He replies smoothly, "And don't you wanna smell that fresh Gotham air?" By fresh, he sarcastically means filled of smoke and industrial excrements.

She stares, curious and silent. He assumes she's deciding whether to accept or reject his offer. But just as he starts to tap his foot impatiently on the floor, she shrugs, his heart skipping a beat because she steps forward, coiling her arms around his neck.

"Just don't drop me," Kate advises and he grins, nodding affirmatively as he fishes out his grapple gun, shooting out and the floor has vanished from beneath their feet.

Her breath is hot against his exposed neck, making goosebumps rise on his skin as he swings them forward, until they land on top of a building because he thinks that if they had stayed in the air any longer, his grip would've loosened on the grapple gun.

"We are so high up from the ground,"

Robin blinks, realizing that Kate's somehow standing near the building's edge, peering down. He instantly clasps an hand around her elbow, yanking her back.

"Shit, don't stand there. You could fall!" He hisses, the blonde stumbling back into him with surprise.

Releasing her, he purses his lips, then lowers himself to the roof. As he crosses his legs, Kate watches him before crouching down beside him, tucking her own legs beneath herself.

The moon isn't visible in the sky, only stars that twinkle whenever the drifting clouds don't cover them and Jason's stomach is twisting with nervousness. Before Kate can break the unwelcomed silence, he beats her to it.

"I wanted to apologize," He begins, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. "For tomorrow. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like that."

Kate deflates, "You don't have to say sorry, Robin. It was kinda my fault to say tha—"

"No, it wasn't your fault." He quickly interrupts her, "I'm-I'm..." He sucks in a shaky breath, trying his best not to tangle up his words. " _Sorry_. I'm really sorry I hurt your feelings and made you feel awful."

He thrusts a hand through his raven locks, the corners of his lips pulling downwards. "I just don't wanna hurt you."

A hand strokes his shoulder, but he keeps his gaze fixed on the cemented floor of the roof. "You know..." Kate pipes up silently, "We don't have to be together if you don't want us to be." Her voice is slightly breaking, but she steels it with a clear of her throat. "I'll understand."

The thought fills his stomach with bees. Not butterflies, but bees that sting really,  _really_  painfully. "Fuck, no." He shakes his head before dropping his face in his hands. "I want us to be together,"

Everything is just so messed up; his words aren't cooperating and his chest feels sore as he throws his head back, leaning back a little onto his hands while his eyes squeeze shut beneath the domino mask.

"And I love you too,"

The words make his face heat up, making it hard to breathe and damn it, why can't he just easily accept it like she did.

Robin let's out a breath he didn't know he was holding until petite arms wrap around his shoulders, Kate burying her face into his chest as she scoots closer to him. She smells a lot like sweet lemon tarts and maybe she tastes like them too.

He responds by returning her embrace, arms circling her upper torso as he pulls her closer, placing her chin on top of her head as he hears her release a small whimper. He's going to let her in; tell her about everything, from his name to how he sometimes really wishes his mom was alive so he could gift her on mother's day.

But he doesn't get a chance because as soon as the blonde pulls back, she presses her lips to his, causing his muscles to relax as her finger dig into his dark black hair, tugging at it slightly as he leans forward, attempting to pour all his emotions in the kiss.

A low, grave growl rings in the atmosphere, "What. Are. You. Doing?"

Cold chills run down Jason's spine, his throat going dry like sandpaper because Kate's blue eyes flare up with surprise, both of their heads snapping in the direction from where the voice had came. And Robin's heart definitely leaps to his throat because Batman stands there, jaw tight and the whites of his cowl narrowed into slits.

His mentor looks anything but pleased.


	8. crashing down, but we come back every time

Jason doesn't really remember Dick ever telling him about a similar situation that he was stuck in at the moment. And even if the Romani had, Jason can't recall it because his mind is too much occupied with more serious thoughts. Like how Batman is standing infront of him, his eyes narrowed dangerously and face demanding answers.

On the other hand, Kate looks like a deer caught in headlights, blue eyes wide as marbles and mouth agape as she continues to stare at his mentor.

The eerie silence gets broken as Batman speaks up, his deep voice chilling. "What were you doing, Robin?" He repeats his question, lips presses into a straight line.

 _Shit_. Was Bruce blind? Didn't he saw the fuck he was doing. Ignoring the twisting nerves inside his stomach, Robin licks his bottom lip. It doesn't help much because he feels the flavour of lemon tarts in his mouth.

"I was... I was..." He's stammering, and  _damn_  it, Jason doesn't stutter. But he swallows, courage filling up his chest before he blurts out, "I was kissing my girlfriend."

And at that, Batman's brows shoot up in surprise, the dark knight sending him an incredulous look as Kate's grip tightens on the boy wonder's arms, her face flushing scarlet due to his bluntness. But Robin doesn't falter, his glare settled on his mentor firmly.

"Would you like to repeat that?" Batman inquires slowly, his visible lips pulling into a frown.

Kate's nails are practically digging into his skin as Robin scowls, "You  _deaf_?" He questions sarcastically, "She's my girlfriend!"

If it was possible, Batman's eyes narrow even more, his scowl deepening before he growls in the night air, "Get her home," He orders, taking a step back, icy glare never leaving his protégé. "Then immediately come to the cave."

Robin watches, frowning as his mentor shoots out a grapple, then swings away into the darkness of the night, disappearing from sight. He hears Kate release a heavy sigh, leaning into his shoulder. He responds by intertwining their fingers together, squeezing her hand softly.

* * *

The zeta beams glowing brightly, Robin rips the mask off his eyes as they enter the dark cave. He squares his shoulders, as if getting ready for battle when Batman tugs his black cowl off with one pull. Blue clash with green, the former cold as ice.

"Does she know who you are?" It's the first question Bruce asks him.

Jason crosses his arms, standing straight. "Not yet,"

"Good, let's keep it that way." Bruce growls, "Do you have any idea what you have done? I didn't expect such reckless behavi—"

"I bet you wouldn't say that if Dick was in my place." Jason sneers, unfazed by the heated glare pointed towards him.

Bruce scowls deeply, "Don't compare yourself with Dick."

"You fucking compare me to him all the time!" The teen fires back, poison dripping from his tone. "What difference does it make that I do it myself this time?"

His mentor gives him a stern look, "Don't change the topic," The ends of his mouth pull downwards into a frown, "You're putting yourself and her both in danger." Bruce lectures, furious. "Do you want that? Do you want someone to get hurt because of your actions?"

" _Fuck_ , no!" Jason hisses, "But I can take care of her and myself just fine!"

His mentor fixes him with a frosty glare, parting his lips to knock some sense into his protégé's thick skull, but Jason rudely interrupts him, "I'm not letting her go, Bruce." He inhales through clenched teeth, thrusting a hand through his black locks. "She understands me."

"Making out on rooftops doesn't count as understanding, Jason." The elder man scowls, folding his arms over the bat insignia on his chest.

Jason grits his teeth, "Yeah, but she doesn't treat me as second best!" He bits out, fingers biting into his gloved palms as Bruce frowns in response. "She really likes me, and I like her back. Kate makes me feel special. And if you're gonna bitch about how you're not gonna let me be with her than I don't give a fuck. I'm seeing her whether you like it or not!"

Bruce fully notes how the boy's muscles are tensed, his blue eyes narrowed. "She doesn't even know who you are," He points out solemnly.

"I was gonna tell her before you butted in!"

"You're not saying anything to her."

"Make me."

The two stare at each other, steely blue crossing forest green. A few seconds tick by, and Bruce exhales loudly, "You're so  _stubborn_." He pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

"And you're an asshole." Jason snaps, still glaring daggers.

His brows furrowing, Bruce slumps into the chair near the batcomputer, gaze focused on his protégé in thought. "Alright, fine." He leans back in the seat, "You can see her."

Jason isn't really listening, anger clouding his mind. "Fuck you, Bruce. Just fuck you!" He yells, then blinks, absorbing his guardian's words. "Wait,  _what_?"

"You can see her, Jason." Bruce affirms, the corners of his lips twitching upwards in amusement as the boy continues to stare incredulously at him. "But we're gonna set some rules about it first."

Green eyes narrow at him, "What kinda rules?"

And then, Bruce begins to state the conditions.

* * *

She's lying on her mattress, face pressed into the fluffy pillow. Blue eyes peek out slowly, gaze moving upwards, only to find the Batman poster pinned to her pink wall. The sudden feeling of his burning glare returns, and Kate squeezes are eyes shut, fisting the sides of her bed sheets into her hands.

A scowl graces get features as the events play in her mind again, making the dinner in her stomach churn with worry and anxiety. Oh, God. What if Batman never let Robin see her again? What if he tried to hook him up with someone in his team; someone who was a superhero and far more interesting and prettier than her? He wouldn't let her go, would he? He did say he loved her.

Horrible thoughts are circling her mind like vultures, her heart pounding in her ribcage with regret. She shouldn't have let Robin leave. Should've stood up to Batman. Should've faced that bone chilling glare.

Katherine Flynn wasn't afraid of Batman. Of course, she feared the Joker a lot but not Batman. He was her  _idol_. Her favorite superhero. She admired him so much as the protector of Gotham.

But something back there, had her tongue frozen in her mouth. Maybe it was the thick tension and awkwardness of the situation, or maybe how furious the dark knight looked at first.

In the end, she decides that it was all her fault.

"I am so stupid," Kate frowns, propping herself on her elbows before slamming her head into the pillow.

"Stupid,"

She bangs her head again.

"Stupid,"

_Bang._

"Stupid,"

_Bang._

"I am so fucking stupi—"

"Hey, stupid. Quit hitting the pillow." A voice cuts her off and Kate freezes, but quickly sits up, twisting around to find a familiar masked face.

Her heart flutters for some reason, "Robin!" She greets gleefully, surprising him as she throws her arms around him, nuzzling her head beneath his chin.

"Wow," Robin muses, teasing as his arms wrap around her shoulders. "I've been gone for one hour and you were moping around. What're you gonna do when I leave for a month 'cause of a mission or something?"

Kate frowns as the thought strikes her, but she brushes it off, snuggling closer. "What did Batman say? He wasn't mad that we—"

"If you're worried about him seeing us making out on the roof, then don't worry," He pats her back. "I've seen him and Selina do even  _worse_  stuff." He shudders.

For a second, she wants to ask who Selina is but she reconsiders. "So can we...?"

" _Still_  see each other?" The boy offers, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "Yeah, Bats said it's okay but he's given a few conditions."

Kate blinks, pulling back to gaze up at him curiously. "What kind of conditions?" She inquires, perplexed.

A flash of nervousness crosses his face and he clicks his tongue, "That I'm not supposed to tell you who I am."

For some reason, a pang of pain erupts from her chest as she stares, hiding a deep frown because she really does want to know him; wants to see what the color of his eyes is; about his family and just everything about him. But on realizing that she never will, it makes her feel crestfallen.

"Oh," The blonde utters, shoulders slumping a little. "What else?"

Robin fully takes note of the action, but he continues, "I can see you in my free time. No making out in places anyone can see us. This relationship shouldn't distract me in missions." He elaborates, "And we're not allowed to do stuff that we're not supposed to be doing at this age." A mischievous smirk curls the corners of his lips and he cocks his head slightly, "Unless you want us to."

Cheeks heating up slightly, Kate narrows her eyes, gently swatting his arm. "That wasn't funny!" She huffs, Robin releasing a laugh.

Gloved hands clasp around hers, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as blue eyes come across pure white lenses. "If you're not okay with the rules, then I have no problem in breaking them." He offers softly.

And Kate swallows, lips pursing because she wants to break the very first one. What kind of relationship had rules? What was Batman even thinking? She wasn't going to hurt Robin.

Robin stares, squeezing her hands. "Kate?"

She mentally makes a note to rip all of the Batman posters off her walls. "It's okay, Robin." She forces a grin, "I think you should really start listening to your mentor once in a while."

But just as he parts his lips to say how he hates rules, Kate beats him to it. "So..." She grins cockily, scooting closer to him. "I'm your girlfriend,  _huh_?" She inquires amusingly, eyes half lidded.

And Kate stifles a giggle as Robin flushes, the tips of his ears burning red suddenly.


	9. he's got me spinnin' 'round

Jason knew fairly well what game Bruce was playing. His mentor was aware that relationships didn't survive long when there were secrets involved. Secrets pierced hearts, forced doubt in one's mind and made them question their decisions.

 

It made him angry, furious to be exact. However, Kate didn't seem like she was minding it, but whenever her name slipped out of his mouth and she responded by calling him Robin, it made his chest ache simply because that wasn't his real name.

 

Robin was his mantle; a mask quite like the one he wore to cover his eyes.

 

Of course, when Kate would bounce over to his side in Gotham Academy, her smile bright and blue eyes sparkling like stars, it took him a lot of strength to greet her casually and not act like a boy who wanted to back her to a wall and kiss her senseless.

 

So as they decided to write a history report together, he didn't waste much time in asking Alfred if Bruce was home and that he wanted to invite a friend over. Fortunately, Bruce was busy in a case that involved a strange team up of Poison Ivy and the Riddler. But God, the small smile that twitched the corners of Alfred's lips upwards on seeing Kate made heat snake up his neck for some reason.

 

And as for Kate, her eyes were wide like the size of dinner plates after they had entered the manor. She looked slightly nervous, getting flustered a bit just as Alfred referred to her as Miss. Katherine.

 

Jason held back a laugh, patting her back for encouragement because he could remember himself then; stepping inside the prodigious manor, all bones and skin with motor oil stains on his tattered shirt. The memory caused chills run down his spine, but he swallowed, shaking away the past as they walked forward.

 

Things were going good so far, but then a muscular arm looped around his neck and shit, he forgot to ask Alfred if dickface was in Bludhaven or not. Before Jason knew it, Dick was ruffling his locks, teasing him by using horrible nicknames like jaybird and little wing.

 

He did try to bite at the first Robin, but just as he was about to, Kate piped up, catching Dick's attention and asking if he was the one who won the first international mathlete competition in Gotham Academy.

 

Jason was thankful that Dick didn't remember her but his jaw probably clenched a little when the taller male offered her a charming smile, complementing on her great observation. The current boy wonder's teeth definitely didn't grit together as she blushed slightly, tugging a strand of golden hair behind her ear as she babbled something about how there was a picture frame of him in the school's hall.

 

But luckily Alfred called them over for lunch, so now Jason sat just across Dick, his fork hitting the plate a little harder than he intended to as the first Robin began his language slaughtering again.

 

"If like is the opposite of dislike, then isn't aster the opposite of disaster?" suggests his older brother, grinning broadly. "Instead of things going wrong, they go right."

 

Jason kicks him under the table.

 

"That's actually pretty cool," Kate comments, smiling before she purses her lips. "Kinda like insane should be the opposite of outsane?"

 

"And like traught is the opposite of distraught," Dick offers, ignoring how Jason groans silently.

 

Kate laughs, "Yeah!"

 

Alfred fully takes notice on how Jason literally jabs at his steak, "I hope you're enjoying your lunch, Miss. Katherine." The butler smiles politely, pouring water from a jug.

 

"Oh, it's just amazing." The blonde responds honestly, slicing her steak with a knife. "You're a great chef, Alfred."

 

"So, Kate. What does your dad do?" Dick inquires, helping himself to some mashed potatoes.

 

The blonde swallows her bite, "My dad's a psychiatrist in Arkham Asylum." She answers, too focused on her food to catch Dick and Jason exchange surprised glances.

 

"You're dad works in Arkham?" Jason question unsurely, "Why'd you never tell me about it?"

 

"You never asked," Kate replies, chewing. "Dad even tried curing the Joker once. But it didn't really work."

 

Jason scoffs, "'Course, it didn't. That clown's fucking crazy!"

 

"Master Jason," Alfred scowls, the said boy wincing in his seat. "Mind your language."

 

"So lem'me get this straight," Kate begins slowly, dressed in pajama shorts and a red polka dotted shirt. "Batman grounded you?"

 

"Kind of like that," Robin bounces his shoulders, unclapsing his cape. He inspects the black tee shirt handed to him, a large green paw print on its center before he tugs off the shirt of his costume, not catching the blonde's gaze linger over the scars on his torso.

 

A pink hue blossoms on her cheeks and she shifts her weight on the left foot, glancing sideways to give him some privacy.

 

"I shattered that guy's collar bone and Bats goes all hissing at me," Robin scowls, mask still fixed as Kate pulls the door open, walking forward.

 

Her usual long hair is tied into a loose ponytail, bouncing with each step as they climb down the stairs. The girl's parents aren't home, and she thinks it would be great if they had a movie night together. He follows her down, venting with curses before they enter the kitchen.

 

"You broke his collar bone," She points out, amused. "I think Batman had the right to be angry."

 

He snorts, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall as she moves towards the central table, taking a plate. "What was I supposed to do?" He asks sarcastically, "Prop up some pillows before hitting him?"

 

Kate rolls her eyes, picking out cupcakes and cookies and placing them over the plate. And then she feels him stalk towards her, a thrill running through her as he pauses behind her, a hand gripping the side of the table on her left.

 

Her heart starts to pound in her chest as she straightens up, ready to ask what's wrong when Batman's protégé presses a soft kiss to the back of her neck. Goosebumps rise over her skin, his breath warm before he nuzzles his nose into her hair.

 

"You look so pretty in a ponytail," he mumbles, dropping his chin on her shoulder and she flushes, sighing blissfully as she almost melts into his body heat, his hand coming to rest on her hip.

 

Her hands tighten into fists, leaning against the table before she tips her head back, giving more access to her neck as he peppers it with quick kisses. Her heart is hammering against her ribcage, her skin burning because of his touch.

 

And then, his hand grip her shoulder, pulling her to face him. He's so close, they almost bump together. "You sure you don't wanna know who I am?" Robin asks, smile soft and the question makes her throat dry.

 

"Let's just listen to Batman for once," Kate smiles, reaching out, her fingers brushing his jaw as he scowls slightly, "Yeah, but—"

 

"Please, Robin." The blonde cuts him off, "Just stop talking about it."

 

A smirk curls his lips upwards and then he tugs her closer, mouth falling tenderly over hers. Blue eyes flutter close, toes curling as his tongue slides over her lips as if to ask permission and she parts them, giving him what he wants, a heavy, blissful sigh escaping her.

 

Legs suddenly like rubber, she wounds her arms around his neck, using him as leverage because she can't stand any longer, her knees are just too weak to hold her weight. His hands gravitate to her hips, holding her in place. She feels putty in his hands, skin hot as he traces kisses down her neck.

 

She gasps when his teeth gently graze on her collar bone, "Give me a hickey and I'll kill you," Kate squeaks, arms tightening around his neck.

 

Robin laughs understandingly beneath her chin, his easy voice making her heart flutter.

 

The movie could really wait.


	10. at the end of the day

"They could've taken us to the zoo, y'know?"

 

Blue eyes look up at him, amused. "I'm happy that they're not taking us to the zoo." Kate admits, glancing outside the bus's window. "Animals don't really like me."

 

"At least animals are better than shitty machinery," Jason snorts, folding his arms behind his head.

 

Kate rolls her eyes, "Aw, come on, Jason." She swipes a thumb over her phone, looking over the news as she speaks, "It's an educational trip. It's not always Gotham Academy takes us to Star City to visit a factory."

 

"Just so we can see fucking machines make bombs," Jason comments dryly, leaning into his seat. "And the factory that happens to belong to Wayne Enterprises."

 

"Your dad provides the money for the Justice League. How's that not cool, Jason?!"

 

"He's not my dad, Rapunzel."

 

"Guardian, adoptive father, whatever," The blonde waves her hand in the air, "It's still cool."

 

The bus comes to a halt infront of an enormous building, a teacher rising from her seat before lecturing the rules and warnings for the trip. Jason rolls his eyes, half listening to her blabbering as the students step out of the bus, strolling inside the factory. He stifles a yawn, glaring over to a young employ that bounds over to them all, welcoming everyone and then, beginning his speech for the nuclear weaponry being manufactured in the factory.

 

"This is so boring," Jason groans, Kate falling in step beside him. "Why'd you even come then?" She inquires, eyes fixed on the flickering screen of her phone.

 

The current boy wonder peers at her, jamming his fists into the pockets of his jeans. "I thought you might start missing me," He smirks, gently bumping his arm with her shoulder.

 

The action steals her attention from the phone, "How thoughtful of you," She laughs.

 

He grins at that, tipping his head forward and parting his lips to speak when she begins, swaying her phone in the air. "You know what would be really cool, Jason?" She grins broadly, "If me and you were superheroes!"

 

The words make him self conscious for some reason. "Really?" He muses, eying the image of Wonder Woman and Superman holding up billboards to save the people cowering beneath them.

 

"Even better, we could be thieves!" Kate smiles proudly, a gleam in her eyes as he raises an eyebrow, amused. "You wanna be a thief?"

 

"Catwoman's a thief and she's so cool," She points out, the corners of her lips pulling upwards into a smirk. "Gotta admit it, Jason. Thieves are cool."

 

There's a flash of a young boy in Jason's mind, weak and small as he carefully pulls tires off the batmobile. "Thieves are not cool, Kate." He frowns, the blonde beside him bouncing her shoulders as they walk behind their class.

 

She ignores his comment, "We could have cool names!" Kate beams, excited before she purses her lips in thought.

 

She snaps her fingers, "You could have the alias Red X!"

 

"Red X?" Jason echoes, unamused.

 

"Yeah!" She smirks, stuffing her smartphone in the pocket of her blazer before clasping her hands behind her back, "And maybe I could be Blade..." She offers, blue eyes glowing with mischief, flicking up to meet bright green ones. "Or Bloodlust?"

 

"Those names do not suit you at all, Rapunzel." Jason shakes his head with a laugh.

 

Kate huffs, lifting her chin up in the air. "I think they're fucking awesome." She sticks her tongue out at him and Jason rolls his eyes because he's definitely rubbing off on her.

 

"Okay, so Miss-Wannabe-Thief," He release a snort, "How're you gonna stea—"

 

But he's cut off as an enormous green vine erupts from the floor, rising into the air just as gunfire screeches through the atmosphere, a three piece suited man stepping infront of their class while a number of armed men take charge near the exits.

 

"Why hello, kiddies." The Riddler greets, tipping his hat. "Sorry to say, but you're field trip has been cancelled due to some problems." He cackles.

 

Vines keep sprouting out, entangling themselves with the walls, floors, ceiling and the machinery inside the building.

 

Jason grits his teeth together, gaze hardening when landing on a young woman that steps beside one the enormous plants.

 

"Will you shut up and hurry?" Poison Ivy scowls, petting the green plant.

 

"Patience is a virtue, Ivy." Riddler answers, smirking before he turns to the teens infront of him, all of them gaping at him with shock. "So," He clicks his cane on the chipped floor, "Just raise your hand if you know the answer to my riddle, alright?"

 

Jason isn't really listening, his attention more focused on the henchmen that have moved further into the factory.

 

"How many sides does a circle have?"

 

He really hates riddles, but he needs to call the Team.

 

"Two sides!" He answers without missing a beat, making sure to raise his hand in the air. But Kate's hand moves to clasp around his elbow as the Riddler settles his attention on him.

 

She pulls him down a little, her got breath tickling his earlobe as she whispers. "Are you fucking crazy?!" Her voice is hushed but panicked.

 

"Relax," He murmurs back, locking gazes with the Riddler before he straightens up. "Inside and outside are the two sides of a circle." Jason elaborates.

 

"Correct!" The Riddler smiles, pleased. "Applause for this young man."

 

The class is practically shivering with fear but they oblige nonetheless, clapping for him as Kate's grip tightens around his elbow even more. But before the man can speak again, Jason beats him to it.

 

"Can I go to the bathroom?" He asks, noting how Ivy's plants are slithering around. He flashes the red haired man a lopesided smile, "I won't take long."

 

Giving him a pressing look, Riddler nods, then returns to his riddles. Jason offers the blonde beside him a reassuring look, before silently moving towards the restrooms. He acts casual, attempting to look exactly like a scared teen infront of the armed men as he stalks ahead.

 

Stealing a glance of outside, Jason steps inside the restroom, softly shutting the door behind him. He leans against it, a scowl gracing his features as he fishes a communicator out from his pocket and fixing it in his ear.

 

"Hey, Mal. Can you hear me?" He clicks on his watch, a blue holographic screen popping up.

 

"I hear you loud and clear, Robin." Comes the man's voice, "Everything alright?"

 

Sarcasm makes its way in Jason's tone, "Oh, yeah. Just that the Riddler and Poison Ivy attacked a nuclear tech factory in Star City and they're fucking holding a class hostage." He informs, slipping out a pair of sunglasses and placing them over his eyes.

 

And before Mal can bombard him with questions, the second boy wonder speaks up. "I'm sending you the location and map of the building. Get the others here fast," He advises solemnly, then pauses to add.

 

"And make sure they have my costume too."

.

.

.

Riddles are being thrown their way and spiked vines are creeping around, but surprisingly this horrible scenario isn't worrying Kate much. What's worrying her is that it's been twenty minutes and Jason still hasn't returned from the bathroom. She assumes that this terrible situation has made his stomach upset but oh, God, what if he got shot by one of Riddler's men? Or maybe a carnivorous plant devoured him?

 

The disturbing thoughts are flooding her mind, and she shakes her head in a vain attempt to get rid of them while backing away from a vine that slides slightly closer to her feet. Her gaze flicks up to Poison Ivy, the scarlet haired beauty barking orders to the men as she affectionately pets a tall vine crawling up the wall.

 

Her heart drops to her stomach, muscles tensing as there are the sounds of bullets being fired from another hall. Then suddenly, a glimpse of black catches her eye and she stars in awe, watching Troia glide out of the hall while bullets bounce off the silver bracelets around her forearms.

 

A green skinned elephant charges out, knocking away some guards and Aqualad slams a man in the wall with the help of his water bearers.

 

Poison Ivy screams as Superboy rips away an enormous vine.

 

Kate swallows, nearly stumbling back as Ivy's plant rise up in the air, swaying like snakes and surrounding them. Her classmates scream in terror, panicking but batarangs come flying, slicing into the plants and bursting into explosions.

 

Blue eyes flare up in surprise, peering across the room to land on Robin, who responds by flashing a small smile before joining in with his teammates.

 

But Kate's attention instantly snaps back to Jason, and she searches for the hot tempered boy all around the large room. Her heart squeezes in her chest because she doesn't see him anywhere. Without another thought, she makes her way forward, making sure to stick to the slightly isolated areas whilst avoiding any kind of attention as the immense fights unfold.

 

"Jason?" She calls out as soon as she enters the other hall.

 

No answer comes.

 

"Jason, we need to get out!" The blonde shouts, speeding ahead, looking around for him. "The sidekicks of the League are here!"

 

Fist hitting the bathroom's door, she throws it open. "Jason, are you here?!" She questions again, knocking on every door.

 

"Jason!"

 

Each passing second makes her heart panic and horrible thoughts circle her mind like vultures. But a hand lands on her shoulder, an alarm ringing in her mind and her body moves on its own as she spins on her heel, catching the person behind her with her forearm. She drives her momentum until he's pinned between her forearm and the doors of the toilets behind them.

 

Her gaze comes across masked eyes and she freezes, Robin pushing her arm off, looking more than amused. "Didn't know you could do that," He comments, sounding impressed.

 

She purses her lips, looking around frantically. "I can't find my friend!" She replies distractedly, blinking as he grabs her arm, yanking her ahead.

 

"We need to get out," He grimaces.

 

Kate digs her heels into the tiled floor, pulling back. "I can't find Jason, Robin!"

 

The boy wonder curses under his breath, reaching out to grab her again. "We'll find him later," He assures, but blinks as Kate steps back from him, muscles tight and he swears her blue eyes flash crimson for a second.

 

"I'm not going anywhere until I find Jason." Kate growls as Robin scowls, brows raising in amusement. "This Jason guy really important to you?"

 

"He's my friend," She pressures the last word, "We need to find him, Robin!"

 

The com-link in Robin's ear bursts to life and he clicks it on, Kate watching, perplexed as the white lenses of his mask widen before narrowing into slits. "We are leaving right now!" Batman's protégé scowls, grasping her arm again.

 

Kate settles him with a glare, "I said I'm not going without Ja—"

 

"We've got no time!" He hisses, dragging her towards the door. "This place is gonna explode!"

 

Her throat goes dry, heart banging against her ribcage. "But what about Jason!" She cries out, clenching onto the door's frame. "We need to find him! We can't let him die!"

 

"Jason's not here!" Robin snaps, furious as he yanks her hand off the doorframe.

 

Kate narrows her eyes, anger clouding her mind. "How do you know?!" She demands, trying to pull away from him.

 

His grip tightening almost painfully, Robin whirls around. "Because..."

 

I'm Robin.

 

He swallows the words on his tongue, his sentence hanging in the air when Aqualad pipes up in his ear again, ordering to hurry because everything around them is going to explode into bits and pieces soon.

 

"Fuck!" He curses loudly, bolting forward and snaking an arm around her waist.

 

Kate is probably furious at him as he throws her over his shoulder but she's twisting in his hold and demanding to be released but he ignores it, jaw clenching as her fists pound on his back.

 

"Let me go, Robin! We need to find Jason!" She cries out, knee hitting his chest.

 

He scowls deeply, "Quit squirming!"

 

Adrenaline is pumping through his veins, heart beat drumming in his ears as he avoids tripping over the dead vines on the floor. He skids around the corner, feet thumping hard against the floor as he heads towards the exit, Aqualad's deep voice in his communicator and the blonde struggling in his hold.

 

And just as Robin reaches outside, Gotham's dark sky welcomes him while he spots his teammates and class fellows standing near the lengthy wire walls encasing the factory. The first thing Kate notices when her feet touch the ground is that Jason is nowhere in the group, her stomach twisting and heart panicking.

 

She doesn't really hear Robin's loud pants as he bends over a bit, hands on his kneecaps, trying to catch his breath. But she definitely hears the enormous explosion that takes place when colorful fires spew out of the Wayne factory, destroying everything inside it.

 

Kate stares, blood freezing before she clasps her hand over her mouth, legs quivering as horror creeps over face.

 

"Is everyone alright?" Aqualad inquires as Robin straightens, offering a small smile to Troia who places a calming hand on his shoulder.

 

Kate doesn't mean to scream, but she still does. "My friend was in there!" She cries out, startling everyone.

 

Hot tears are pricking at her eyes as she buries her face into her hands, whimpering loudly. But her blood boils, face growing hot with anger as she inhales through clenched teeth, then fixes the boy wonder with a burning glare.

 

"We could've saved him!" She hisses, "But you let him die!"

 

Her nails are biting into her palms, throat awfully dry as she steps forward. "My best friend died because of you!" She snarls, jabbing a finger into his chest and he looks taken aback by the blame.

 

A frown pulls the corners of his lips downward, but Batman's protégé is interrupted as Troia steps infront of him, deep blue eyes narrowed. "He saved your life," The Amazon informs solemnly, "You should be thankful to Hera that you are safe rather than blaming your savior for something he didn't do."

 

All Kate can see at the moment is tears and blood.

 

"Fuck Hera!" The blonde sneers, tears stinging her eyes.

 

Troia's blue eyes spark up with anger, "What did you say?" She demands, hands balling into fists by her side.

 

Aqualad quickly interrupts before Kate can respond, "Superboy," He addresses the clone, "Is someone still alive in there?"

 

Hope seems to light up but it instantly cripples as Superboy shakes his head, frowning deeply. "Sorry, but I can't hear anyone's heart beat." He states, Beast Boy's shoulders slumping beside him.

 

Aqualad settles the blonde with an apologetic look, but before he can register any calming words, Kate slumps to the ground, breathing fast. She glances up at Robin with watery eyes, the boy staring back with his brows knitted together in worry.

 

"I thought heroes put everyone before themselves," She bits out, letting out a sob as Aqualad kneels down to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

Robin frowns deeply, gaze sweeping over her before moving towards the burning fire of the factory.


	11. tugging at your heart strings

Jason never really hated weekends. But he does at the moment because he can't see Kate; tell her that he's alive and not burnt into ashes. Maybe it was a stupid move to involve himself in the rescue mission along with his teammates. It wouldn't have been stupid if he had dressed himself back as his civilian self, but unfortunately his uniform was inside a building that exploded into bits and pieces.

 

And when he tried to clear things up with Kate as Robin, Bruce just had to bench him in patrol as punishment. Dick was currently in Gotham too, so it was difficult to sneak out of the manor when you had an obnoxious older brother forcing you to bond with him.

 

But Jason did manage to message Kate; a quick text that he was fully breathing. She replied by calling him several times but he simply answered with another text, telling her that he couldn't explain it to her on the phone and if she'd like to come a Wayne charity gala being hosted by Bruce Wayne on Saturday.

 

He promised he'd clear everything if she accepted his invite.

 

So now, Jason stood in the enormous fully lighted room, despising the red tie forced around his neck.

 

"Who're you looking for, little wing?"

 

Jason scowls, weight shifting on his toes as he eyes the number of guests. "Nobody,"

 

"Well, you are looking for someone," Dick muses, dressed in all black unlike Bruce who's donning a white tuxedo, smiling charmingly while he stands far from them.

 

A cheeky grin splits across Dick's face as he gives him a pressing look, "Gotta date, Jay?"

 

"Don't you have to go and fuck someone, goldie?" Jason responds sarcastically, irritated.

 

He really hates parties, galas; simply anything in which Bruce forces him to get formal and advises not to use foul language while he tightens the black tie around his neck. Rich people make him sick for some reason. He dislikes how they talk about their growing businesses, parties, expensive food and neglect the people who strive on the streets in Gotham.

 

His attention snaps back as Dick busies himself in welcoming a woman who has a lot of diamonds on her, but that's the exact moment Jason spots a familiar face emerging from the door.

 

Her golden hair a mess of self made curls, Kate smiles apologetically as she bumps into someone. Jason doesn't remember ever seeing her in a dress, but the blonde is wearing one right now and it's all pink with small black hearts dotted all over it. Of course, it's kind of childish but flattering and shit, blood is rushing to his cheeks as he quickly makes his way towards her.

 

He pauses for a second, watching closely as she smiles shyly, touching the hem of her skirt as the person complements on her dress. A blush explodes across her face, head dipping down as she says thank you before her blue eyes dart around in search for him.

 

She sees him, eyes widening but Jason doesn't let her speak, clasping his hand with hers and dragging her somewhere his family members won't see her.

 

"Jason!" Kate calls him as he turns a corner, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one is looking.

 

He glances at her, listening to her small heels click on the floor. "Hold that thought," He releases her hand, pausing infront of a door.

 

The current Robin twists the golden knob, pushing the door open, then catches her wrist, pulling her inside as well. The room is dark and he doesn't look for a light switch.

 

"Now we can talk," He informs, satisfied.

 

"Jason!" Her voice hits his ears, "I can't see anything!" She waves her hands around, her palm accidentally hitting his jaw, and he quickly grabs her hands before she ends up slapping him.

 

"Why'd you drag me here?!"

 

 _Because_ I don't want Bruce to see you. "So, what do you wanna talk about?" He inquires casually, ignoring her question.

 

His muscles stiffen as arms coil around his neck, and she presses her face against his collar bone. "I thought you were dead," She whispers, squeezing him.

 

The gears in Jason's head kick back into action, "It'll take more than a stupid explosion to kill me," He jokes, patting her back and then inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume.

 

A frown pulls the corners his lips downwards as she releases him before he winces as a hand smacks him hard on the arm, the hit stinging like needles.

 

"The fuck, Jason?!" Kate curses, furious. "I was worried sick 'cause of you!"

 

He is definitely a bad influence on her.

 

"How'd you get out of there?! I didn't see you on the bus!"

 

And here comes the flood of questions.

 

"You've gotta lot of explaining to do, Jason Peter Todd! I even fought with my boyfriend because of you!"

 

Now that catches his attention, a warm, pleasant feeling pooling in his chest. "You've gotta boyfriend?" He questions, feigning surprise.

 

Kate frowns, "Are you even listening to me?!" She demands, "Don't change the topic!"

 

"So you've gotta boyfriend and you didn't even tell me about him?" Jason inquires almost tauntingly, sticking his hands into the pockets of his black pants. "Some best friend you are,"

 

There's a beat of silence, then a sigh: "Jason, it's complica—"

 

"What's his name?" He interrupts her quickly. He knows he shouldn't be asking this, but curiosity is getting to him and fuck, he needs to know what she thinks about him.

 

A deep, heavy sigh answers, "I don't know," She replies, shoulders dropping. "I don't know much about him."

 

"How can you be with someone who you don't even know about?!" He grimaces, jaw clenching and hands balling into fists. "Fuck, you don't even know his damn name!"

 

She doesn't belong with him. He's too tempered, too reckless, not worth anyone's concern. He's going to hurt her. Hell, he did hurt her; made her think he was dead, made her cry. He was awful. His life was awful.

 

"You know, he reminds me of you," Kate mumbles and his stomach twists with nervousness.

 

Jason swallows, "Really?"

 

The blonde lets out a small laugh, "Yeah," She admits, and there's a small glimmer of light from outside the window. Blue eyes peek up at him as Kate gives a lopesided smile, "He's got a few problems with his dad."

 

Bruce is so not his dad.

 

"But he's a great person, just a little misunderstood." She tells him, making his heart swell up. Kate purses her lips, then frowns, gaze settled on the floor. "I wish I knew who he was. But I love him and that's the only thing that matters."

 

Something bitter pools in his chest, and he reaches out, gently grasping her jaw to tilt her chin up. Light blue clash with bright green before Jason offers a smile, heart hammering in his chest.

 

"I'm Robin."

 

He ignores how she blinks, confused and her jaw hanging slightly but he continues, words hard to grasp somehow. "I'm sorry that you were so worried 'cause of me. It's just that..." He inhales sharply, stepping back and squeezing his eyes shut. "Fuck, this wouldn't have happened if Bruce just let me tell you."

 

"Shit, Kate." He tips his head back, jaw clenching. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I'm really sorry."

 

There's silence but he doesn't dare glance at her, gaze fully focused on the side wall. Time ticks by, dread seeping in his veins and then he blurts the first thought in his mind, muscles tight. "You're not disappointed, are you?" The question comes out as a whisper.

 

Fingers brush against his arm, but he still doesn't look. "Why would I be disappointed?" Her voice is unexpectedly soft.

 

"Because that's what I am," He bites out, nails digging into his arm. "Nothing but a fucking disappointment to everyone."

 

She's going to leave; slam the door in his face and walk away, crushing his heart beneath those pink heels because that's what he deserves. That's what he always got; from his father, his teammates and even Bruce. But instead, a hand lands on his shoulder, squeezing it tightly and causing his gaze to finally meet hers.

 

"You're not a disappointment, Jason." Kate tells him, voice firm and resonant. The corners of her lips tug upwards into a smile as she cocks her head to the side, "And I'm glad that you're Robin."

 

His body reacts on its own, surprising her as he pulls her into a hug, arms squeezing her to his torso. She returns his embrace, circling her petite arms around his shoulders to return the affection. A minute passes by, before the blonde release a bubble of laughter, the heartily chuckle causing the weight on his shoulders to disappear in an instant.

 

"So," Her words are getting muffled against his chest, her shoulders shaking in mirth. "Does this mean Bruce Wayne's Batman?"

 

Instead of an answer, she feels his hand touch the other side of her face, tilting her towards him. The touch burns, but it feels so amazing. He shifts her back a little before he dips his head down.

 

"Hey, Kate?"

 

Her heart is beating harder against her ribcage, "Yeah?" She peeks up, reaching up to her face and pressing his hand more firmly to her cheek.

 

And then he asks, face warming up again. "Can I kiss you?"

 

She rolls her eyes, smiling whilst fighting back a blush. "You don't have to ask, Jason."

 

His mouth is flat to hers even before she has finished speaking. A small squeak escapes her throat as he moves to stand in front of her, her back suddenly against the wall. It feels so great to be kissing her as himself, not donning a mask and no gloves to stop him from touching her skin.

 

Jason races his fingers through her sunny curls, messing them up as he smudges her lip gloss, but Kate doesn't care much because she responds with a pleased hum, arms snaking around his waist and fisting the back of his black coat, tugging him closer.

 

Air is necessary so they pull back, but Jason quickly closes the gap again, mumbling against her lips. "You won't believe how much I've been waiting to do this as myself,"

 

Kate wants to giggle at the comment, but the boy wonder pulls at her bottom lip, one hand at the small of her back to keep her close. A gasp leaves her as he drags his fingers up her back, palm pressing to the empty space between her shoulder blades.

 

She reaches up to cup his cheeks, thumbs brushing over the places where his mask used to be as he pulls back. "This isn't a dream, is it?" Her lips touch his with a whisper as she's completely breathless.

 

Jason murmurs some words in assurance; words she can't really understand because he quickly closes the space between them again.


	12. tappin' on your window

Blue eyes snapping open, she quickly reaches out, grasping the buzzing smartphone over the drawer then pulling it to her ear. The blonde closes her eyes, snuggling more into the mattress. Stifling a yawn, Kate answers.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Open the window, Rapunzel."

 

"It's already open, Jason." She responds sleepily, "You can come in if you want."

 

He snorts in reply, "No, come to the window and then open it."

 

A loud yawn escaping her lips, she nods lazily, throwing the sheets off and swinging her legs off the bed. She digs the heels of her palms against her eyes in an attempt to get rid of the feeling of sleep before thrusting a hand through her golden locks, sauntering over to the window.

 

Pulling it in, Kate props her elbows on the window frame, arching a blonde brow as Jason waves his hand from below, smartphone pressed to his ear.

 

"Wow," She comments, amused. "You wanna practice Romeo and Juliet?"

 

She grins cheekily because his glare settles on her, before the boy smirks, speaking up again. "Jump out."

 

Kate blinks, perplexed. "What?" She's probably misheard him.

 

"Jump out." He repeats.

 

A few seconds tick by, the words being absorbed by her brain before she begins, slowly. "You want me," Kate stares flatly at him, "To jump out of the window?"

 

"I don't think there's a network error here," He glares, voice laced with sarcasm. "Jump out the damn window, Kate."

 

"Did you got hit on the head during patrol?" She scowls, narrowing her eyes. "I am not jumping out of a window!"

 

"I'll catch you!"

 

"I'll like to have my body parts non broken, thank you very much."

 

Jason face palms, then drags his hand down to his chin. "I swear to God, I'll catch you." He promises, glaring up. "Now will you please jump?"

 

"Nuh, uh." She shakes her head, turning away from the window and ready to hang up when he quickly interrupts her.

 

"Trust me."

 

Teeth burying into her bottom lip, she makes an instant decision, sighing heavily and pocketing the phone into her pajama pants. Kate swallows, leaning out and frowning as Jason awards a mischievous grin, putting his phone away and spreading his arms wide.

 

"The quirks of dating a hero," She mumbles under her breath, climbing outwards.

 

Her legs dangling out the window, the blonde peers down, chills running down her spine because if she hits the ground, there is definitely going to be a loss of a bone. With a silent prayer, Kate pushes herself outwards.

 

The air whistles in her ears for a minute or two, heart leaping to her throat as she screws her eyes shut, bracing herself for the painful impact but surprisingly, her body slams into another, a terrified gasp flying out of her mouth as Jason circles his arms around her waist, stumbling back slightly.

 

"'Atta, girl." He laughs, giving a slight squeeze.

 

Kate doesn't really answer, body still trembling as she clings tightly to him. "I swear you're turning me into a rebel, Jason." She grumbles, letting out a deep breath before her feet touch the ground.

 

"Being rebellion is good," The boy wonder shrugs, smirking as he leans down to kiss the side of her mouth. "Healthy even."

 

Rolling her blue eyes, Kate props her fists onto her hips. "So why'd you make me come out here?"

 

He throws a sly smirk, clasping his hand with hers and dragging her towards the road. Blue eyes blink, surprised to see a red bike parked near some bushes and Jason grins smugly, tossing a helmet her way.

 

She catches it, then gives him a confused look.

 

Green eyes glitter with mischief as he offers a cocky smirk, "Wanna see something cool?"

* * *

* * *

 

Gotham's streets are busy as ever; smoke and dust everywhere but shockingly the sky was clear, stars scattered around the shining moon, its dim light illuminating the dirty alleyway they stalked through. The wind blew, crisp and cold while Kate pondered whether to ask Batman's protégé why they were here or not.

 

In the end, she decided not to. After all, she liked surprises.

 

"Look, Jason." Kate smiled broadly, pointing towards the sparkling stars. "The sky's awake!"

 

"Screw the sky," He snorts, thrusting something into her hands and Kate raises a brow to find that it's a pair of black sunglasses.

 

She's even more confused when he fixes a similar pair of shades on his nose, then steps behind her. The girl flinches in pain as he roughly tightens a scrunchie around her blonde locks.

 

"Ow, Jason!" Kate winces, hands moving up to her head. "The hell are you doing?!"

 

"Stop moving, Rapunzel." He orders, pulling her hair into a messy ponytail.

 

He smiles with satisfaction as he eyes his handiwork, ignoring the incredulous look she's giving throwing his way before he takes the sunglasses from her, fixing them over her eyes. A click on his watch has a bluish holographic computer flickering on in thin air and Jason clicks a few keys, reaching forward to grab the blonde's wrist to tug her towards a nearby phone booth.

 

"Call me Robin infront of everyone, alright?" Jason advises, stepping inside the booth.

 

She stares, but squints her eyes as white light erupts from inside and there's no one in there anymore. "Jason?" Kate calls out, worrying her bottom lip as she glances at the out of order sign on the phone booth.

 

Cursing under her breath, the blonde enters it as well, only to stare blankly at a small camera inside the booth's wall. Air is stuck somewhere between her lungs as a mechanical voice booms, blinding white enveloping her entire form.

* * *

* * *

 

Recognized: Robin B One Three: Authorized: Guest A Zero Nine.

Skin tingling and dinner churning in her stomach, Kate stumbles out of the zeta beams, sucking in a deep breath to calm the rapid beats of her heart as she staggers forward. An arm loops around her shoulders and she leans against the strong form, chest heaving.

 

"Having your particles teleported to another place can be tough for the first time," Jason assures, smiling softly.

 

A scowl gracing her features, Kate shrugs his arm off, straightening herself and ready to snap at him for the late warning when a voice rudely interrupts her.

 

"Dude! She's your girl?"

 

She pauses, shifting her weight on her left foot to find a pair of green and blue eyes watching her with interest. A green tail catches her attention and Kate raises a brow, staring incredulously because one of the boy's skin is green and has a tail swishing behind him.

 

Jason grins broadly, pointing towards the emerald skinned boy. "That's Beast Boy," He then jabs a finger in the direction of the taller male, "And that there's Captain Marvel."

 

Kate really wants to question the fact that why does Captain Marvel looks so young but she's beaten to it, the dark haired boy skipping infront of her.

 

"But you can call me Billy," Billy chirps, tossing a friendly smile whilst holding his hand out.

 

The blonde doesn't waste any time in taking it, "Nice to meet you, Billy," She greets, shaking his hand and smiling as Beast Boy inches closer to her.

 

But she quirks a brow as the changeling leans closer, sniffing her with his eyes closed. A grin tugs his lips, causing him to flash pearly white canines. "You smell like cupcakes and cookies!" He exclaims gleefully, then peers up at her through dark green lashes, "Do you work in a bakery?"

 

"I actually like to bake a lot," She admits, shrugging and smiling as he steps closer, inhaling deeply.

 

A hand lands on her shoulder, pulling her back and she nearly falls but Jason grabs her arms to keep her in balance. "Let's not get touchy with her," He frowns at his teammates.

 

Billy raises an eyebrow as Beast Boy smiles sheepishly, "Noted," He rubs the back of his neck, tossing an apologetic smile. "My name's Garfield, by the way."

 

Rolling her eyes beneath the sunglasses, Kate places a hand on her hip and observes the area which almost looked like a living room. "Where is everybody?" She inquires.

 

Tail flicking behind him, Garfield smiles toothily, "Everyone's on an immediate mission in Bialya." He informs, Billy clasping his hands behind his back. "We're the only one's here."

 

Kate nods, chills snaking down her spine as a hot breath hits the back of her neck. She whirls around, startled to find an enormous wolf; his golden eyes narrowed into slits as he bares his teeth at her, growling furiously.

 

She immediately backs away from it, hands balling into fists because he keeps on stalking towards her, glaring murderously.

 

"Get the fuck away from her!" Jason snarls, stepping between them and Kate peeks from behind him as Wolf drops down, growls lowering slightly.

 

The blonde gulps, grasping the back of the boy wonder's jacket. "Is it a pet?"

 

"Uh, yeah. His name's Wolf." Billy replies, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "But this is kinda strange. Wolf doesn't normally threaten anyone unless Superboy tells him to."

 

Kate smiles sheepishly, gaze shifting from the boy to Wolf. "Well, it's normal for me. Animals don't really like me," She admits, stepping beside Jason to look up at the beast growling down at her.

 

Garfield arches a brow, "Why?"

 

"Dunno," She shrugs, stare still fixed on Wolf before she shifts her weight onto her toes, a coy smirk curling the corners of her lips as she braces the animal's jaw.

 

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Wolf." She assures soothingly, patting his lower jaw.

 

Blue eyes burn crimson for a brief second as she smirks and Wolf droops his ears, whimpering loudly before bolting away, growling at her from a distance.

 

She watches as Garfield and Billy exchange perplexed glances as Jason stares at her with incredulity but before any of them could comment, she pipes up. "So aren't you guys gonna show me around?"

 

Garfield perks up, smiling. "Sure!" He chirps, tail twisting around her wrist as he pulls her forward.

 

Not seeming to mind, Kate lets him tug her ahead as he chatters about the things around them all. "So you can turn into any animal, right?" She muses, Garfield turning to nod affirmatively at her.

 

Blur eyes sparkle, and she grins, "Can you turn into a cat?"

 

"Pfft... Cat?" The changeling scoffs as Billy and Jason join them in the tour, "I can even turn into a pterodactyl!"

 

Kate smiles, "I'll really like to see a cat."

 

With a friendly grin, he nods vigorously and the blonde's more than surprised as he changes into a small green furred kitten. Billy chuckles, Jason rolling his eyes as the kitten meows, rubbing around the girl's legs.

 

Cooing loudly, Kate picks the changeling up, pulling it to her chest. "So cute!" She smiles, the kitten purring as she scratches his head.

 

She almost remembers how her father got a cat for her on her eleventh birthday. But the feline had literally used its claws to scratch her arms and had run off, meowing with fright.

 

Billy offers a friendly smile, locking gazes with her. "To be honest, I thought Robin and Donna got together when he told me and Gar that he's gotta girlfriend now." He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's kind of a surprise to know that you're from his civilian life."

 

Brows raising in amusement, Kate couldn't help but ask. "Who's Donna?"

 

Parting his lips to answer, Billy slams them shut again as Jason shoots him a menacing glare from behind the blonde. But the kitten in her arms hops out, feet hitting the tiled floor and changing back into his regular self.

 

Garfield grins innocently, "Donna's Troia," He elaborates, oblivious of the threatening looks being sent his way. "Y' know? Wonder Woman's sidekick?" He offers, rocking on his heels. "Robin here had this major crush on he— ow!" He winces as Billy jabs an elbow into his arm.

 

"Oh, really?" Kate muses, folding her arms over her chest and settling Batman's protégé with an amused look, "No wonder she was so protective of you back there."

 

She rolls her eyes as he curses under his breath.


	13. you, and i can keep on dreamin'

Thunder roars, the rain hitting the glass windows as the door creaks open, Jason making a mental note to inform Alfred about oiling the hinges as he steps into the library of the manor. He kicks the door shut with his foot, jamming his fists into the pockets of his jeans before he stutters forward.

He peers from the corner of a book case, a smirk lifting the ends of his lips. "How's the report coming?"

Blue eyes move upwards, meeting deep green ones and Jason frowns because dark circles are present beneath the blonde's eyes. Kate, however, cracks a tired grin, shuffling a bit on the tiled floor to make space for him.

"Just six more chapters and we're good." She informs as he crouches down beside her, carefully avoiding the history books scattered around them.

A scowl graces his features as he notices the pages lying at her side, "I told you not to do my part of work."

"Yeah, so we get a low grade again," She rolls her eyes, then stifles a yawn. "And anyway, I don't mind doing your work too. I mean, it's hard being a superhero when you've got school work to complete."

Jason glares at the books, "But you're tiring yourself out by staying up late." He grumbles, and Kate pinches the bridge of her nose, sighing.

"I'm totally okay working for both of us."

He attempts to argue, "Yeah, bu—"

She quickly cuts him off, folding her legs beneath herself. "Where's Mr. Wayne?" She inquires, looking around cautiously.

Jason rolls his green eyes, swaying his hand in the air. "The Joker broke out of Arkham today," He tells, grimacing. "Bruce and Dick are kinda busy tracking him down." He looks at her amusingly as she digs the heel of her palms into her eyes in a weak attempt to get rid of the sleepiness.

"So they're not here, right?"

Jason scoffs, " _Yeah_! I'm not stupid to make you come at the manor when Bruce or dickface are here." A grin tugs his lips then, and he cocks his head to the side, kneeling infront of her.

Kate arches a blonde brow, confused as he flashes a smug smirk. "You're not scared of the big 'ol Batman, are you, Rapunzel?" He inquires, humor in his voice.

Blue eyes narrow angrily at him, "I'm not afraid of Batman, Jason." Kate scowls, glaring and not catching that playful smirk on his face. "And I'm especially not afraid of a guy who dresses up as a freaky winged mouse in the nigh—"

But she pauses instantly, blinking with surprise because he cups her face and before she knows it, he's kissing her. For some reason, his mouth is a bit rough and it's hard to keep up with his sudden movements so she grips his shoulders, pulling him down. Jason grins against her lips as she wraps her arms around his neck while his move downwards to her waist.

"Stop being such a tease, boy wonder." She growls, irritated, nails biting into his shoulders.

The tips of his ears burn a little red on hearing her call him that, and he responds by sliding his tongue over her mouth. She lets out a small squeak as he leans forward, pressing more into her and suddenly, her back is flat against the cool, pale library tiles, causing goosebumps to scatter over her skin.

"So now you're gonna call me boy wonder,  _huh_?" He inquires, cheeks warm as he shifts back slightly.

He's answered with a heady noise as she pulls her lips away from him to catch her breath before Kate offers a cocky smirk, "I can totally go for bird brain or wonder bread if you want," She suggests, fingers digging into his black locks and pulling him back.

She tilts her head, tongue stroking his bottom lip but he trails kisses down from her lips to her neck, propping an elbow on the floor so he can balance himself as his teeth nip at the soft skin of her collar bone. "I know I made a promise to you, Rapunzel." His voice is almost muffled, unclear and making her thoughts swirl crazily. "But I might leave a hickey—"

Kate quickly shushes him, " _Less_  talking," she tugs at his hair, breathless. " _more_  kissing."

Jason releases a small laugh, "If Alfred catches us, I am so getting grounded for patrol."

Her hold tightens more onto him, and to his surprise, she locks her leg over his to make sure he won't get off. "You're not doing this 'cause you're sleepy, are you?" He sighs, frowning as he leans back a bit.

But soft fingers grasp his jaw, guiding his face back to hers. "You're more than welcome to stay at my house, Robin." Kate offers, fisting the back of his shirt and he almost falls on top of her. He lets her press his mouth against hers roughly a few times, her tongue invading his mouth, leaving him breathless, until she's satisfied and exhausted, her tight hold loosening on him. The boy wonder pulls away, sitting upright to offer her an amused smile.

"You seriously need to sleep."

"You're such a mood killer," Kate blows out a gust of air, blowing at the locks falling on her eyes.

An arm slides behind her back, helping her to sit and she doesn't bother to pull at the hem of her shirt that's riding up a little on her stomach. But she blinks, gasping with surprise when another arm is beneath her knees. Suddenly, she's up from the ground and Jason's carrying her towards the door.

"Where are we going?" She questions as soon as they are out of the library.

The sound of the rain outside becomes audible to her and she begins again, "What about the history report?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Jason asks sarcastically, quickly jogging up the stairs.

He bites back a smile when Kate clings onto him, as if afraid he's going to drop her down. Kicking a door open, he enters the room, surprising the blonde as he drops her onto the bed, crossing his arms and settling her with a stern glare.

"Sleep," he orders, then turns around to leave.

But a hand shoots out, clasping around his wrist, pulling him back and he loses his balance, planting face first into the mattress. His teeth grit together in anger, a scowl framing his features and just as he's going to spew out some curses that he needs to complete that damn report and how sleep is necessary, Kate clutches onto him arm, burying her face beneath his chin.

"Stay," she mumbles softly.

The anger melts somewhere inside him as he releases a heavy, deep sigh, shifting onto his side over the mattress, shoes still on his feet. He drapes an arm over her, patting her back.

There's a beat of silence, then: "You're not gonna leave me, right?" Kate murmurs sleepily.

A smile slipping on his lips, Jason drops his chin on her head. "No, Kate." He assures as she snuggles closer.

"I'm never going to leave you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since we're nearing the end of this fic, I'd like to thank everyone who read it and especially who reviewed! This all was actually going to be a one-shot. I actually extended it later on 'cause I wanted to try my hand at an oc\canon pairing that could pull at the heartstrings of the reader. I'm not sure if I succeeded in it or not but I had so much fun with this! Since it's all very different from what I usually write.
> 
> I'm an absolute fluff lover. And when a small amount of humor is added to it, then it's my most favorite! This whole plot arose from a song that I accidentally came across the internet and then this idea just struck me and I was like, "maybe I should write something in which Jason's Robin and everything isn't going horrible for him once." 'Cause let's face the truth people, there are like millions of Jason Todd angst fics out there (which I really enjoy reading, tbh) but the boy needs a lil' love.
> 
> I think he's faced the hardest life of all the Robins; his dad being a criminal, adoptive mom a drug addict, real mom selling him off to the Joker, thriving on the streets of Gotham since he was young and getting critiqued a lot on his harsh behavior. Not to mention, the whole dying and then resurrection thing going on later. 
> 
> AND I have a few fan art pieces done on this ship and I'd love to share with you guys if you want~ :3
> 
> I also wanted to practice writing a lot of fluff in a multi chaptered fic, so this story was a good exercise ^^ I'm absolutely sorry if you found any of the characters out of character or typos or anything that made you dislike the fic. Also, 'cuz this is the second last chapter and to make things clear, I will not be giving this fic a sequel.
> 
> Thank you!!


	14. tear my heart out

The next day, there's something wrong with the weather because the sun is blocked by dense black clouds, wind already blowing strongly. The morning's a bit colder than usual, the windows banging due to the fiery wind outside. And above all, there's this strange numb feeling in the blonde's chest as she wakes up.

"Sweetie, how about you skip school for today?"

Kate rolls her eyes, brushing the absurd feeling off as she swings her feet down from the bed.

"It's alright, mom. The cold never bothered me and you know that."

Her mother chuckles, moving towards the door while Kate stretches her arms above her head, stifling a yawn. She grabs her smartphone from the side drawer, scrolling down to her inbox.

Golden eyebrows knit together, and she stares as there isn't a single message for her. It puzzles her a bit, because she's habitual to see a few late texts from Jason; most of his messages being sent at late night in which he mostly complains about Bruce and the villains he encounters.

Or how Nightwing is forcing him to give hugs.

Teeth burying into her bottom lip, Kate bounces her shoulders. "Maybe he was busy," She mumbles to herself, typing down a good morning message for him.

Later on, she takes a shower, does her breakfast and then brushes her teeth. She isn't sure why she's impatiently waiting for her phone to vibrate, inform her that there's a text for her to see.

Dressed up in her Gotham Academy uniform, Kate swings her bag onto her shoulder. A thought strikes her and she turns to her mother, blue meeting brown.

"Hey, mom. Is it okay if I have Jason over for lunch?"

There's a twinkle in the woman's eyes and she quickly nods, "Of course, dear! I'd make an extra batch of cookies too!"

A grin tugging her lips, Kate bids farewell, pulling the door open before she steps outside. A cold gust of wind greets her, making her shudder. Sky blue eyes move upwards, meeting dark black clouds that promise to burst with rain any second.

"Oh, wow, Kate." She speaks to herself, taking a step forward and wincing as her bangs are pushed into her eyes.

She tugs them behind her ears, a frown pulling the ends of her lips.

"Just how bad a windy day could be?"

* * *

 

"Hey, this is Jason. I might be busy with some shit at the moment so just leave a message, kay?"

A beep rings and then Kate sighs, leaning against the wall. "Jason, this is Kate. I wanted to ask why haven't you come to school today and uh..." She closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Call me soon, alright? Bye."

Thumb sliding over the screen, Kate throws her head back against the wall while she ponders silently. She doesn't remember him saying anything about a long mission from last night. But what if him and his teammates were assigned a sudden mission? They did go to different parts of the world in mere seconds due to the easy access to zeta tubes.

But it seemed so unlikely of Jason.

He always let her know if he wasn't in Gotham for a few days. If he couldn't see her, he made sure to text. That was the reason he gifted her that phone, right? So he could always be in touch with her? Always let her know that he was alright and was gonna meet her up at eight on her room's window.

"Hey, charity case!

The shrill voice startles the girl, snapping her out of her thoughts before something collides with her knees, then hits the school's tiled floor. Kate blinks, gaze moving downwards to find that the object is nothing but a rolled up newspaper.

She looks back up, scowling at Madison who stands leaning against Andrew, an ear splitting grin adorning her face. Andrew smirks beside her, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

A growl leaves the blonde's throat, blue eyes flashing red as she readies herself to knock both of their teeth in when she's rudely interrupted.

"Why don't you try reading the headlines, Flynn?" Andrew offers, smirking slyly.

Scowling deeply, Kate grasps the newspaper's corner, considering throwing it in Madison's face but then deciding against it. She rolls it open, skimming through the whole black and white words when she reaches the headline, written by none other than Gotham's famous reporter, Vicky Vale.

' _My most deepest condolences to Bruce Wayne who's ward, Jason Peter Todd, passed away last night due to severe lung cancer. The boy was badly addicted to smoking and he...'_

All of a sudden, Kate finds her breath stuck somewhere inside her chest, and just maybe, her heart stopped beating.

_Passed away._

She reads the line again, again and again. She can't really feel anything, just except the slow, steady beats of her heart while the whole world becomes inaudible.

 _Dead_.

The word makes her throat dry.

_He's dead._

_Breathe_ , she needs to breathe.

_Jason's dead._

There's a snapping sound in the background and _shit_ , did Madison just take a photo of her?

But—but, he didn't have cancer. Of course, he smoked sometimes but, oh dear God, he did not have cancer.

The newspaper in her hands hits the floor, Kate fully ignoring how Madison and Andrew are sneering at her, laughing and taunting as she pulls out her phone, nearly dropping it as she moves to her contacts section.

But no one picks up; not Bruce, not Dick and not even Alfred.

Her legs are feeling like jelly, but this is definitely not the time to sit down so she ends up calling someone Jason advised was only to contact when it was absolutely necessary.

Well, this was damn necessary.

An unsure voice answered after a few rings, "Hello?"

"What happened to Robin?" Kate immediately questions, heart hammering and thoughts a horrible mess.

The person on the other side sounds surprised, "Who is this?!"

"It's me, Billy. It's Kate." The blonde responds hurriedly, mentally praying for him to answer with words that could calm her thundering heart, make the frightening feeling overcoming her form disappear.

"Oh, Kate," The boy sounds hesitant, "you should try calling lat—"

Fist slamming into the side locker with a bang, Kate grounds her teeth together. "Spit it out, Billy!" She hisses, jaw tight.

There's a beat of silence, before Captain Marvel inhales a shaky breath. "Ro-robin's dead." His voice stammers, timid and weak.

His statement makes her clenched jaw loosen, blue eyes widening as she leans back into the wall, taking a heavy breath as she hears him fumble over words that her brain can't thoroughly process in the current situation. He tells her a story about clowns, warehouses and explosions.

They are all bone chilling.

"Look, Kate. I'm-I'm really sorry to tell you this," Billy apologizes, worried as there's no answer. "Batman and Nightwing are pretty wrecked too. But just keep calm an—"

 _Click_.

She cuts the line off without a single word.

* * *

 

Dark clouds thunder in the sky, lightening shooting through them and wind blowing hard as Kate enters her house. Her mother, cheery as ever, stands in the kitchen's doorframe, stirring a wooden spoon inside a bowl.

Deep brown eyes look around, then blink in confusion as Kate moves towards the stairs. "Dear," Her mother beings questionably, "Didn't Jason come with you?"

"No, mom." Kate utters, steeling her shaky voice. "Jason isn't coming."

"But why?" The dark haired woman persists softly, "Is it because of the wind outsi—"

"Jason's never coming, mom!" Kate snaps bitterly, shuffling up the stairs.

The door slams shut behind her and of course, she feels horrible on talking to her mother like that. The blonde throws her bag to a side, not bothering to turn the lights on.

And then, Kate collapses down on the carpeted floor, leaning back against the door as she attempts to calm her rapid breaths.

She's never going to see him again.

Never going to hear his voice.

Her eyes squeeze shut, hands clenching into tight fists.

Never going to feel his touch.

She swallows the lump stuck in her throat, teats threatening to fall.

He's gone forever. Jason— _Robin_ , the boy who was fully alive and breathing yesterday is gone forever.

And finally, there's a strangled sob leaving her lips before she cups her face into her hands, sobbing into them. Tears are hot as they come across her palms as she remembers him; recalls everything they had been through together, every moment spent with each other that's nothing but a mere memory now.

She doesn't have the strength to fight the onslaught of heated tears, so she lets them come, flow down her cheeks and make her feel awful until she's out of breath and exhausted. So when she passes out on the floor, she doesn't dream of bright green eyes and old broken promises.

Instead, there's a laughing maniac clown, a blood laced crowbar, and a bright, red enormous explosion.


End file.
